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 Belize and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1964 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Soft Cell to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Alice Coltrane. All the underground hits.
All Kenny Larkin tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gil Scott Heron record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Avey Tare record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jawbox,
Harry Pussy,
Banda Bassotti,
Cabaret Voltaire,
The Toasters,
Roxy Music,
Outsiders,
The Martian,
Peter and Kerry,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Monks,
Bluetip,
Sonic Youth,
Prince Buster,
Susan Cadogan,
Quantec,
Jeff Mills,
Buzzcocks,
Whodini,
Derrick May,
Brand Nubian,
Suicide,
Audionom,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Curtis Mayfield,
T. Rex,
Cymande,
Country Teasers,
Chris Corsano,
Lou Christie,
The Tremeloes,
The Gun Club,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Roy Ayers,
These Immortal Souls,
Deadbeat,
Delon & Dalcan,
Television Personalities,
Mad Mike,
Jimmy McGriff,
Scan 7,
Pulsallama,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Q and Not U,
Cheater Slicks,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
The Move,
D'Angelo,
The Smoke,
Laurel Aitken,
Kayak,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Soul Sonic Force,
Sun City Girls,
Howard Jones,
The Birthday Party,
ABBA,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Grey Daturas,
Pet Shop Boys,
Sly & The Family Stone, Sly & The Family Stone, Sly & The Family Stone, Sly & The Family Stone.
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.