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 Moldova and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1961 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Tubeway Army to the rap kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Jesus and Mary Chain. All the underground hits.
All The Five Americans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Stiv Bators 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lee Hazlewood,
Guru Guru,
The Motions,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
DJ Sneak,
Radiopuhelimet,
Mo-Dettes,
Q65,
Charles Mingus,
Essential Logic,
Hoover,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Index,
Radiohead,
Aloha Tigers,
Pantytec,
Grandmaster Flash,
Mr. Review,
Procol Harum,
Agitation Free,
The Gories,
Sarah Menescal,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Mad Mike,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Roger Hodgson,
Kerri Chandler,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Juan Atkins,
Glenn Branca,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Mary Jane Girls,
Gang of Four,
Don Cherry,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The Names,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Idris Muhammad,
Q and Not U,
Todd Rundgren,
Bill Wells,
Boogie Down Productions,
Aaron Thompson,
Josef K,
Easy Going,
The Smiths,
DJ Style,
The Offenders,
The Skatalites,
Derrick May,
Bush Tetras,
Rapeman,
The Fire Engines,
Schoolly D,
Kurtis Blow,
X-Ray Spex,
One Last Wish,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith.
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.