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 Belgium and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1960 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Idris Muhammad to the jazz 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 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. All the underground hits.
All The Five Americans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Quando Quango record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mandrill record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Fela Kuti,
Suicide,
Metal Thangz,
Throbbing Gristle,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Oblivians,
Lebanon Hanover,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Tommy Roe,
Ultravox,
Ornette Coleman,
the Human League,
Arthur Verocai,
Brand Nubian,
Peter & Gordon,
Letta Mbulu,
The Residents,
Freddie Wadling,
Godley & Creme,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Kerrie Biddell,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Q and Not U,
Gang Gang Dance,
Mr. Review,
Cecil Taylor,
The Gun Club,
Scion,
Barry Ungar,
The Red Krayola,
Althea and Donna,
Quantec,
Donny Hathaway,
Dual Sessions,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Fear,
Cal Tjader,
Inner City,
Black Moon,
The Invisible,
Skriet,
Deadbeat,
Tim Buckley,
Altered Images,
Cluster,
The Mighty Diamonds,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Davy DMX,
Theoretical Girls,
Mad Mike,
Erykah Badu,
Adolescents,
David McCallum,
Tears for Fears,
LL Cool J,
OOIOO,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
X-101,
The Young Rascals,
Urselle,
Tres Demented, Tres Demented, Tres Demented, Tres Demented.
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.