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 Tanzania and from Jakarta.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Gang Green to the dance kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Jimmy McGriff. All the underground hits.
All Negative Approach tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Detroit Cobras record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 güiro and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ronan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Fugs,
Tom Boy,
Nirvana,
Can,
The Gun Club,
World's Most,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Infiniti,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Rufus Thomas,
Tubeway Army,
The Dirtbombs,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Swans,
Skarface,
Severed Heads,
Eric Dolphy,
Ituana,
Al Stewart,
Boogie Down Productions,
Peter & Gordon,
Jerry's Kids,
The Techniques,
Quando Quango,
Minutemen,
Wally Richardson,
Boz Scaggs,
The Evens,
The Monochrome Set,
Animal Collective,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Althea and Donna,
Thompson Twins,
The United States of America,
Radio Birdman,
Gang Gang Dance,
New York Dolls,
Piero Umiliani,
Lalann,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Tres Demented,
New Order,
The Moody Blues,
U.S. Maple,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Gregory Isaacs,
Soulsonic Force,
Jacques Brel,
Bobby Womack,
Glenn Branca,
Subhumans,
Gang of Four,
Ice-T,
Janne Schatter,
Lebanon Hanover,
Duran Duran,
Nico,
Masters at Work,
Charles Mingus,
Absolute Body Control,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Goldenarms, Goldenarms, Goldenarms, Goldenarms.
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.