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 Taiwan and from Portland.
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 1966 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the clarinet 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 MDC to the grunge 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 Jeru the Damaja. All the underground hits.
All Carl Craig tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Derrick Morgan record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Grass Roots record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Outsiders,
Ralphi Rosario,
Chris Corsano,
Crash Course in Science,
The Fuzztones,
Throbbing Gristle,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Lou Christie,
Vladislav Delay,
Pharoah Sanders,
Marmalade,
Amon Düül II,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The J.B.'s,
The Divine Comedy,
Bobby Sherman,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Nirvana,
The Human League,
Section 25,
Wally Richardson,
The Five Americans,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Eric Copeland,
Jeff Lynne,
Derrick May,
Mary Jane Girls,
Cheater Slicks,
The Cramps,
Albert Ayler,
These Immortal Souls,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Black Bananas,
Anthony Braxton,
James White and The Blacks,
Lalann,
Funkadelic,
The Vogues,
Blancmange,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Stereo Dub,
Lakeside,
Joe Smooth,
The Detroit Cobras,
Oblivians,
Isaac Hayes,
The American Breed,
Al Stewart,
The Trojans,
Howard Jones,
The Dead C,
The Dirtbombs,
Fatback Band,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Sun City Girls,
Lou Reed,
Kenny Larkin,
The Golliwogs,
Harry Pussy,
Bauhaus,
Rapeman, Rapeman, Rapeman, Rapeman.
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.