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 Iceland and from Toronto.
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 1965 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 güiro 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 CMW to the techno kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Icehouse. All the underground hits.
All Zero Boys tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Qualms record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
F. McDonald,
Adolescents,
Skarface,
The Skatalites,
The Smoke,
The Selecter,
These Immortal Souls,
China Crisis,
Ralphi Rosario,
Erykah Badu,
Visage,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Crispian St. Peters,
Funky Four + One,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Albert Ayler,
Neu!,
The Toasters,
Second Layer,
Kenny Larkin,
Morten Harket,
Bad Manners,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Boogie Down Productions,
Boredoms,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Clear Light,
Man Parrish,
Cluster,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Circle Jerks,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Infiniti,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
the Association,
Royal Trux,
Television Personalities,
The Raincoats,
Robert Hood,
Steve Hackett,
Rosa Yemen,
Eve St. Jones,
Hashim,
Alton Ellis,
Pierre Henry,
The Wake,
The Names,
B.T. Express,
Barbara Tucker,
The Angels of Light,
Brass Construction,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Archie Shepp,
The Cramps,
Oneida,
JFA,
Depeche Mode,
The Buckinghams,
John Holt,
Bobby Hutcherson, Bobby Hutcherson, Bobby Hutcherson, Bobby Hutcherson.
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.