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 Ghana 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 1967 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Symarip to the rap kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Pussy Galore. All the underground hits.
All Gichy Dan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lyres record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Man Parrish record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bill Near,
the Slits,
Lakeside,
the Association,
The J.B.'s,
The Fugs,
Underground Resistance,
Tears for Fears,
The Young Rascals,
Graham Central Station,
The Neon Judgement,
The Modern Lovers,
Soft Machine,
Thee Headcoats,
Peter and Kerry,
Buzzcocks,
Stereo Dub,
The Invisible,
The Monochrome Set,
Minny Pops,
MC5,
Audionom,
Blake Baxter,
Shoche,
Jawbox,
The Moody Blues,
The Divine Comedy,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Eric Copeland,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Donald Byrd,
D'Angelo,
Black Sheep,
Wolf Eyes,
ABC,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Real Kids,
Visage,
Parry Music,
Faraquet,
Soulsonic Force,
New York Dolls,
The Blackbyrds,
Hasil Adkins,
Gang of Four,
Ohio Players,
Gichy Dan,
Oblivians,
Liliput,
Brass Construction,
Jacques Brel,
Roxy Music,
Laurel Aitken,
Bizarre Inc.,
Newcleus,
The Slits,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Scott Walker,
Malaria!,
Animal Collective,
Sun Ra, Sun Ra, Sun Ra, Sun Ra.
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.