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 South Sudan and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Halifax 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the güiro 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 Slave to the techno kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 The Stooges. All the underground hits.
All Blossom Toes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Mr. Review record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Boogie Down Productions,
Rufus Thomas,
The Gun Club,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Rekid,
Moby Grape,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Crooked Eye,
The Knickerbockers,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Monochrome Set,
Charles Mingus,
Suicide,
The Smiths,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Davy DMX,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Excepter,
Icehouse,
Donny Hathaway,
the Normal,
Gregory Isaacs,
Depeche Mode,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Bush Tetras,
Hasil Adkins,
Swans,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Sonny Sharrock,
Country Teasers,
Model 500,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Matthew Bourne,
The Dirtbombs,
The Shadows of Knight,
Main Source,
Black Flag,
Scion,
Deakin,
Swell Maps,
The Offenders,
Kevin Saunderson,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Danielle Patucci,
Sarah Menescal,
Lyres,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Crispy Ambulance,
Joy Division,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Pere Ubu,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Y Pants,
Pantaleimon,
Byron Stingily,
OOIOO,
Roxy Music,
Barbara Tucker,
Man Parrish,
Zapp,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Cluster, Cluster, Cluster, Cluster.
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.