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 Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 Essential Logic to the punk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Sunsets and Hearts. All the underground hits.
All The Peanut Butter Conspiracy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Public Image Ltd. 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kenny Larkin record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
Kaleidoscope,
CMW,
Japan,
KRS-One,
Soul Sonic Force,
Carl Craig,
Gregory Isaacs,
Cheater Slicks,
Gichy Dan,
Mo-Dettes,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
La Düsseldorf,
Blancmange,
Magazine,
X-101,
Black Flag,
John Cale,
The Cramps,
Sandy B,
T. Rex,
Pole,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Nas,
Bad Manners,
Toni Rubio,
Tomorrow,
June Days,
Sun Ra,
Groovy Waters,
Masters at Work,
Chris Corsano,
Ornette Coleman,
Ice-T,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
The Fugs,
T.S.O.L.,
Cal Tjader,
Tubeway Army,
DJ Sneak,
Joy Division,
Essential Logic,
Eli Mardock,
Tears for Fears,
Heaven 17,
Dorothy Ashby,
The Names,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
MDC,
Girls At Our Best!,
The Moody Blues,
Aloha Tigers,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Camouflage,
Stetsasonic,
Ronan,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Raincoats,
Marmalade,
Throbbing Gristle,
Gang of Four,
Iggy Pop,
Amon Düül,
Marcia Griffiths,
Mary Jane Girls, Mary Jane Girls, Mary Jane Girls, Mary Jane Girls.
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.