Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Malawi and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1969 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Ituana to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by Dark Day. All the underground hits.
All Arthur Verocai tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Index record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Gladiators record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The American Breed,
Unrelated Segments,
L. Decosne,
Traffic Nightmare,
the Sonics,
Yusef Lateef,
The Names,
Man Parrish,
The Zeros,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Joensuu 1685,
Cybotron,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Lungfish,
Ronan,
The Martian,
Newcleus,
Letta Mbulu,
The Residents,
Lyres,
Sexual Harrassment,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Easy Going,
Piero Umiliani,
David McCallum,
AZ,
The Smoke,
Kerri Chandler,
The Fugs,
Pussy Galore,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Grass Roots,
Johnny Clarke,
Basic Channel,
the Fania All-Stars,
Josef K,
Anthony Braxton,
Moss Icon,
John Coltrane,
Main Source,
Flash Fearless,
The Toasters,
Public Image Ltd.,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Adolescents,
The Blackbyrds,
The Human League,
Carl Craig,
The Detroit Cobras,
Todd Rundgren,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Gil Scott Heron,
Pole,
Terrestrial Tones,
Dawn Penn,
Franke,
Average White Band,
The Beau Brummels,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Outsiders,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Con Funk Shun,
Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.