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 Laos and from Milan.
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 1963 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the organ 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 The American Breed to the dance 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 Mission of Burma. All the underground hits.
All Thee Headcoats tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Hoover record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 an oboe and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tres Demented record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
David Bowie,
The Fuzztones,
Vladislav Delay,
Lindisfarne,
Cecil Taylor,
Eve St. Jones,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Sonics,
the Association,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Banda Bassotti,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Motorama,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Crispian St. Peters,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Durutti Column,
the Soft Cell,
The Raincoats,
Lucky Dragons,
The Fugs,
Second Layer,
The Techniques,
Eurythmics,
Magma,
Colin Newman,
Maurizio,
One Last Wish,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Crispy Ambulance,
Chris & Cosey,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Bob Dylan,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
The Motions,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Archie Shepp,
Rufus Thomas,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Ultra Naté,
The Toasters,
Peter & Gordon,
Robert Hood,
The Cramps,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Ossler,
This Heat,
Monolake,
the Normal,
Slave,
Jerry's Kids,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Fatback Band,
Nirvana,
John Holt,
Gang Starr,
Marc Almond,
Arthur Verocai,
The Move,
The Cure,
Bang On A Can,
Das Ding, Das Ding, Das Ding, Das Ding.
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.