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 Malawi and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu to the dance kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Suicide. All the underground hits.
All Fugazi tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Hasil Adkins record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord 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 Martian,
Camouflage,
Half Japanese,
Flamin' Groovies,
The Black Dice,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Sonics,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Index,
The Slackers,
Roxy Music,
Alison Limerick,
Technova,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Todd Rundgren,
Jeff Mills,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Invisible,
Simply Red,
Barclay James Harvest,
Blancmange,
Quantec,
ABBA,
Gang of Four,
Bizarre Inc.,
Aloha Tigers,
R.M.O.,
Oblivians,
The Barracudas,
June Days,
Radio Birdman,
AZ,
Barbara Tucker,
Jandek,
the Swans,
Drexciya,
The Real Kids,
Mark Hollis,
Roger Hodgson,
Country Teasers,
The American Breed,
Junior Murvin,
Warren Ellis,
The Move,
Skarface,
Main Source,
Mantronix,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Lower 48,
Fad Gadget,
Qualms,
Carl Craig,
Buzzcocks,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Slick Rick,
Oneida,
Alphaville,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Tremeloes,
The Happenings,
Magazine, Magazine, Magazine, Magazine.
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.