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 Trinidad & Tobago and from Lagos.
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 1965 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1978 at the first Visage practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the marimba 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 Joey Negro to the grime 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 Ohio Players. All the underground hits.
All Kango’s Stein Massive tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Con Funk Shun record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rakim record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Red Krayola,
Albert Ayler,
Urselle,
The Residents,
Negative Approach,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
The Selecter,
Soft Machine,
Jacob Miller,
Derrick May,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Pet Shop Boys,
Jimmy McGriff,
OOIOO,
Peter and Kerry,
John Holt,
Ralphi Rosario,
Danielle Patucci,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Rakim,
Television Personalities,
Steve Hackett,
Sällskapet,
The Saints,
Lyres,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Pharoah Sanders,
Japan,
The Neon Judgement,
Bill Wells,
Mark Hollis,
Nirvana,
Prince Buster,
Pussy Galore,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Stereo Dub,
China Crisis,
Joe Finger,
Electric Prunes,
Chris & Cosey,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Angels of Light,
Bang On A Can,
The Human League,
Terrestrial Tones,
Zero Boys,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Flamin' Groovies,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Lightning Bolt,
Alice Coltrane,
Roxette,
These Immortal Souls,
New Order,
Lindisfarne,
Eden Ahbez,
Panda Bear,
Siglo XX,
X-102,
Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp.
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.