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 Greece and from Sao Paulo.
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 1965 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 EPMD to the rap kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Colin Newman. All the underground hits.
All Selector Dub Narcotic tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Traffic Nightmare record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 mellotron and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pere Ubu record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Slits,
Rotary Connection,
Kayak,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Mantronix,
Anakelly,
Gichy Dan,
Dual Sessions,
Alton Ellis,
the Germs,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
The Standells,
Eric Dolphy,
Michelle Simonal,
Underground Resistance,
Tres Demented,
Stetsasonic,
Barry Ungar,
The Star Department,
The Cowsills,
The Happenings,
The Index,
Vainqueur,
Juan Atkins,
Eli Mardock,
Scan 7,
Kerrie Biddell,
Shuggie Otis,
The Gories,
Blake Baxter,
R.M.O.,
Rhythm & Sound,
Joey Negro,
MDC,
Dorothy Ashby,
The Misunderstood,
The Slackers,
The Dirtbombs,
Pussy Galore,
The Electric Prunes,
David McCallum,
Mars,
Los Fastidios,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Ken Boothe,
Porter Ricks,
Soft Cell,
The Young Rascals,
Circle Jerks,
B.T. Express,
Graham Central Station,
T.S.O.L.,
Unrelated Segments,
Freddie Wadling,
Dave Gahan,
Jacob Miller,
Ralphi Rosario,
Connie Case,
Magazine,
The Pop Group, The Pop Group, The Pop Group, The Pop Group.
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.