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 Lebanon and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 EPMD to the punk kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines. All the underground hits.
All Rhythim Is Rhythim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rahsaan Roland Kirk 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Art Ensemble Of Chicago record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Archie Shepp,
Sun Ra,
Jandek,
Frankie Knuckles,
Piero Umiliani,
Visage,
The Count Five,
The Pop Group,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Spoonie Gee,
Con Funk Shun,
Excepter,
The Five Americans,
Idris Muhammad,
Joy Division,
Kenny Larkin,
Don Cherry,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Arcadia,
Sarah Menescal,
Massinfluence,
Electric Light Orchestra,
AZ,
Simply Red,
The Smoke,
The Gap Band,
The Toasters,
Leonard Cohen,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
X-Ray Spex,
Gabor Szabo,
The Birthday Party,
The Invisible,
Peter & Gordon,
Grey Daturas,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Easy Going,
Juan Atkins,
Arthur Verocai,
Oblivians,
Boredoms,
Toni Rubio,
Eric Dolphy,
The Smiths,
Ultra Naté,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Black Flag,
Jacob Miller,
Boogie Down Productions,
Hot Snakes,
X-102,
Y Pants,
Cal Tjader,
Janne Schatter,
Ten City,
Rakim,
Rapeman,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Mo-Dettes,
Jeru the Damaja,
Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside.
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.