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 San Marino 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 1966 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 güiro 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 Faraquet to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Reuben Wilson. All the underground hits.
All Justin Hinds & The Dominoes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 808 and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sight & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Dorothy Ashby,
Soul Sonic Force,
Faraquet,
Toni Rubio,
Moby Grape,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Cameo,
Bad Manners,
Camberwell Now,
Fifty Foot Hose,
U.S. Maple,
Jeru the Damaja,
Jandek,
The Names,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Man Parrish,
Todd Terry,
Babytalk,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Judy Mowatt,
Royal Trux,
Sarah Menescal,
Scion,
Stockholm Monsters,
Aloha Tigers,
The American Breed,
Harry Pussy,
Fugazi,
Chrome,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Eli Mardock,
Excepter,
the Sonics,
Rufus Thomas,
Japan,
Crispian St. Peters,
Unrelated Segments,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Tears for Fears,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Cecil Taylor,
Gerry Rafferty,
Make Up,
The Mojo Men,
Silicon Teens,
Zapp,
Ralphi Rosario,
Godley & Creme,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Saccharine Trust,
The Young Rascals,
Massinfluence,
Sparks,
Black Sheep,
the Fania All-Stars,
Sonic Youth,
Roxette,
Qualms,
Gichy Dan,
Juan Atkins,
Graham Central Station,
The Sonics,
Stetsasonic,
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.