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 Guatemala and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1963 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the guitar 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 Kerrie Biddell to the techno kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Joe Smooth. All the underground hits.
All Banda Bassotti tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Men They Couldn't Hang 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Eli Mardock record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gabor Szabo,
Charles Mingus,
The Gap Band,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Robert Görl,
Mission of Burma,
Au Pairs,
The New Christs,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
FM Einheit,
Neil Young,
Alison Limerick,
Radio Birdman,
Organ,
The Grass Roots,
Sister Nancy,
Surgeon,
Roy Ayers,
Nas,
Quantec,
Whodini,
Eurythmics,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Mark Hollis,
Camouflage,
Rufus Thomas,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Tears for Fears,
The Mojo Men,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Chris & Cosey,
Gong,
D'Angelo,
Flipper,
Quando Quango,
Mary Jane Girls,
Marcia Griffiths,
Ronan,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Minny Pops,
Supertramp,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Pole,
Josef K,
John Cale,
Index,
Eden Ahbez,
The Beau Brummels,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Neon Judgement,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Kayak,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Duran Duran,
Nation of Ulysses,
the Germs,
Malaria!,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Television,
Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu.
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.