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 Mauritania and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1969 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
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 Bobbi Humphrey to the disco 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 Essential Logic. All the underground hits.
All UT tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every It's A Beautiful Day 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Smog record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Buckinghams,
Young Marble Giants,
Malaria!,
Lower 48,
Nik Kershaw,
One Last Wish,
Matthew Bourne,
Alice Coltrane,
Tears for Fears,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Swans,
Fort Wilson Riot,
John Lydon,
Inner City,
Barry Ungar,
Neu!,
Sugar Minott,
Iggy Pop,
Suicide,
Groovy Waters,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Reuben Wilson,
Stetsasonic,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
the Human League,
The Golliwogs,
Delon & Dalcan,
Anthony Braxton,
Ken Boothe,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Searchers,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Sarah Menescal,
Ultra Naté,
The Invisible,
cv313,
Monolake,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Seeds,
Liliput,
Deakin,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Terrestrial Tones,
Fatback Band,
Gichy Dan,
Fugazi,
The Gap Band,
D'Angelo,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Ice-T,
Warren Ellis,
Average White Band,
Aural Exciters,
A Certain Ratio,
the Fania All-Stars,
Crooked Eye,
Model 500,
Amon Düül II,
Tomorrow,
Aloha Tigers,
Loose Ends, Loose Ends, Loose Ends, Loose Ends.
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.