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 Taiwan and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1973.
I was there at the first Television show in New York.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Stooges to the grunge 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 Ultimate Spinach. All the underground hits.
All Peter and Kerry tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jandek record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sixth Finger,
Aaron Thompson,
Sandy B,
L. Decosne,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Au Pairs,
Don Cherry,
It's A Beautiful Day,
The Evens,
The Count Five,
Joyce Sims,
The Motions,
Ken Boothe,
Harry Pussy,
Lou Christie,
8 Eyed Spy,
Aswad,
Motorama,
Brick,
The Victims,
Black Sheep,
Rotary Connection,
Hasil Adkins,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
the Fania All-Stars,
Grauzone,
Flash Fearless,
The Golliwogs,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Yellowson,
Average White Band,
Albert Ayler,
Robert Wyatt,
Young Marble Giants,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Public Image Ltd.,
Grandmaster Flash,
Ultravox,
Little Man,
The Angels of Light,
Marcia Griffiths,
The Beau Brummels,
Ronnie Foster,
The Trojans,
Sex Pistols,
The Dave Clark Five,
Maleditus Sound,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Bush Tetras,
Suicide,
Depeche Mode,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Guru Guru,
Bronski Beat,
Avey Tare,
Nico,
The Red Krayola,
Dual Sessions,
Marc Almond,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Lower 48, Lower 48, Lower 48, Lower 48.
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.