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 Niger and from Mexico City.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 Accra and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 The Seeds to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Fifty Foot Hose. All the underground hits.
All Whodini tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Smoke 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Wire record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gong,
LL Cool J,
Lee Hazlewood,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
X-Ray Spex,
Gabor Szabo,
Ornette Coleman,
Terry Callier,
Brothers Johnson,
Wally Richardson,
Stockholm Monsters,
Jeff Lynne,
Q and Not U,
Skriet,
Gichy Dan,
The Star Department,
Aloha Tigers,
Panda Bear,
Pole,
Electric Prunes,
The United States of America,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Duran Duran,
Ralphi Rosario,
Eric B and Rakim,
Mars,
The Residents,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Rites of Spring,
Goldenarms,
Rosa Yemen,
Kerrie Biddell,
Cameo,
Drexciya,
Gang of Four,
Subhumans,
Soft Cell,
Slave,
Royal Trux,
Minor Threat,
Faust,
Absolute Body Control,
Funkadelic,
Scan 7,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
The Martian,
Marshall Jefferson,
Masters at Work,
Basic Channel,
Moebius,
Thee Headcoats,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Fugazi,
Shoche,
Technova,
Theoretical Girls,
the Bar-Kays,
Susan Cadogan,
Radio Birdman,
FM Einheit,
Black Pus,
Barbara Tucker,
Rotary Connection,
Lou Christie, Lou Christie, Lou Christie, Lou Christie.
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.