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 Mongolia and from Accra.
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 1966 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 arpeggiator 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 Fat Boys to the grime 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 Alton Ellis. All the underground hits.
All Chris Corsano tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every OOIOO 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Black Bananas record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gerry Rafferty,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The Red Krayola,
The Shadows of Knight,
the Slits,
Soulsonic Force,
The Saints,
Adolescents,
Das Ding,
Joey Negro,
Cal Tjader,
Charles Mingus,
Althea and Donna,
The Barracudas,
Arthur Verocai,
The Moleskins,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Aswad,
Bluetip,
The Invisible,
It's A Beautiful Day,
the Association,
Aaron Thompson,
Smog,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
the Germs,
Television Personalities,
The Trojans,
Silicon Teens,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Altered Images,
June of 44,
Patti Smith,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Throbbing Gristle,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Count Five,
Jesper Dahlback,
Quando Quango,
Loose Ends,
Radio Birdman,
Roxy Music,
John Holt,
Amon Düül II,
The Divine Comedy,
Terry Callier,
Henry Cow,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Girls At Our Best!,
The American Breed,
The Skatalites,
DJ Sneak,
Animal Collective,
Bauhaus,
Flamin' Groovies,
Hardrive,
Ohio Players,
Gil Scott Heron,
Mantronix,
Michelle Simonal,
Gang of Four, Gang of Four, Gang of Four, Gang of Four.
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.