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 Serbia and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1965 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Bob Dylan to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Tubeway Army. All the underground hits.
All Mark Hollis tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Camberwell Now record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Scratch Acid record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare,
Hashim,
Godley & Creme,
The Moleskins,
Popol Vuh,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Average White Band,
Erykah Badu,
Oblivians,
U.S. Maple,
Colin Newman,
Rosa Yemen,
Matthew Halsall,
Panda Bear,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Harry Pussy,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Zeros,
Gabor Szabo,
The Cure,
Kas Product,
UT,
Michelle Simonal,
Hasil Adkins,
The Doors,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Five Americans,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Arcadia,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
the Normal,
Anthony Braxton,
Rufus Thomas,
Warren Ellis,
The Fugs,
Rhythm & Sound,
The Gories,
Young Marble Giants,
Robert Görl,
The Stooges,
Ohio Players,
Patti Smith,
Minny Pops,
Ludus,
Lower 48,
Angry Samoans,
Scott Walker,
Isaac Hayes,
kango's stein massive,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Rapeman,
Bob Dylan,
DJ Sneak,
Tears for Fears,
Flamin' Groovies,
Lou Christie,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
John Coltrane,
Jacques Brel,
The Invisible, The Invisible, The Invisible, The Invisible.
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.