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 Malawi and from Beijing.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1960 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the oboe 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 The Trojans to the disco kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Boredoms. All the underground hits.
All Shuggie Otis tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gichy Dan record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Invisible record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Arcadia,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Detroit Cobras,
Sarah Menescal,
Jandek,
Minny Pops,
Flamin' Groovies,
The Dirtbombs,
Interpol,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Chris & Cosey,
Q65,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
James White and The Blacks,
Eddi Front,
Fat Boys,
The Blues Magoos,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Birthday Party,
Prince Buster,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Quantec,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Jerry's Kids,
Bush Tetras,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
OOIOO,
Barry Ungar,
Theoretical Girls,
Stiv Bators,
Q and Not U,
DNA,
L. Decosne,
Wolf Eyes,
Graham Central Station,
Adolescents,
The Smiths,
Man Parrish,
Harpers Bizarre,
Kurtis Blow,
Sugar Minott,
Jimmy McGriff,
The Searchers,
Pole,
Marshall Jefferson,
Roxy Music,
Girls At Our Best!,
John Lydon,
Grey Daturas,
Warren Ellis,
Bobby Womack,
Von Mondo,
Aloha Tigers,
Bang On A Can,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Archie Shepp,
Beasts of Bourbon,
the Human League,
The Knickerbockers,
Sun Ra,
Gong, Gong, Gong, Gong.
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.