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 Laos and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1965 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the 808 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 Michelle Simonal to the funk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Angels of Light & Akron/Family. All the underground hits.
All Be Bop Deluxe tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Pop Group record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Stetsasonic record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ludus,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Accadde A,
Reagan Youth,
Depeche Mode,
Johnny Clarke,
Archie Shepp,
The Sonics,
Joensuu 1685,
Marvin Gaye,
Aaron Thompson,
Albert Ayler,
Bill Near,
Max Romeo,
The Vogues,
The Kinks,
One Last Wish,
Echospace,
Nik Kershaw,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Magazine,
Glenn Branca,
Sixth Finger,
Dawn Penn,
Smog,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Radiohead,
Mark Hollis,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
The Motions,
Urselle,
Lungfish,
Slick Rick,
Lower 48,
The Fire Engines,
Intrusion,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Neon Judgement,
Technova,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Rotary Connection,
Alton Ellis,
Guru Guru,
Jandek,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Gang Green,
Brass Construction,
Jacques Brel,
The Flesh Eaters,
Donny Hathaway,
Brick,
Jeff Mills,
Ornette Coleman,
Deadbeat,
Boz Scaggs,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Moebius,
Sugar Minott,
the Germs,
Vladislav Delay,
Hot Snakes,
Althea and Donna,
Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus.
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.