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 Bulgaria and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Happenings to the electroclash 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 Lee Hazlewood. All the underground hits.
All Nation of Ulysses tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rapeman 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mad Mike record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Crispy Ambulance,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Freddie Wadling,
Quadrant,
Y Pants,
Susan Cadogan,
Anthony Braxton,
Lebanon Hanover,
Tom Boy,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Smiths,
The Blues Magoos,
Royal Trux,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Smog,
Robert Görl,
Pere Ubu,
Laurel Aitken,
Robert Wyatt,
Minny Pops,
the Association,
Brothers Johnson,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
The Leaves,
Sun Ra,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Andrew Hill,
MC5,
Jandek,
Bootsy Collins,
Ken Boothe,
K-Klass,
Pet Shop Boys,
Godley & Creme,
Second Layer,
Masters at Work,
Nas,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Camouflage,
Lalann,
Terry Callier,
David Axelrod,
Main Source,
Alison Limerick,
Lower 48,
Charles Mingus,
Man Parrish,
Livin' Joy,
The Sonics,
Accadde A,
The Toasters,
The Real Kids,
This Heat,
H. Thieme,
Nico,
The American Breed,
Dead Boys,
Intrusion,
New Age Steppers,
Josef K, Josef K, Josef K, Josef K.
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.