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 Jamaica and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1968 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the 808 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 Au Pairs 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 Sister Nancy. All the underground hits.
All Radiohead tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fela Kuti record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Mummies record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Colin Newman,
Moby Grape,
Amon Düül II,
Country Teasers,
Toni Rubio,
Oblivians,
James White and The Blacks,
Joe Smooth,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Camouflage,
Charles Mingus,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Happenings,
the Bar-Kays,
EPMD,
Easy Going,
Rapeman,
Roger Hodgson,
Derrick Morgan,
Cameo,
Kaleidoscope,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Stetsasonic,
10cc,
The Standells,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Stiv Bators,
UT,
Chris Corsano,
Pagans,
New Order,
Au Pairs,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Star Department,
Bobby Byrd,
Pharoah Sanders,
Talk Talk,
Livin' Joy,
T. Rex,
Ten City,
Tim Buckley,
Junior Murvin,
The Blues Magoos,
Bluetip,
Technova,
Gang Starr,
R.M.O.,
Delta 5,
The Selecter,
Inner City,
Marmalade,
Black Pus,
Wire,
Bronski Beat,
Brand Nubian,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Agent Orange,
The Shadows of Knight,
Arthur Verocai,
Thee Headcoats,
DJ Style,
The Busters,
The Litter, The Litter, The Litter, The Litter.
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.