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 Kenya and from Houston.
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 1969 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Lyres to the techno 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 Howard Jones. All the underground hits.
All Teenage Jesus and the Jerks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kool Moe Dee 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 synthesizer and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Birthday Party record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Human League,
Underground Resistance,
Harmonia,
Joyce Sims,
The Fuzztones,
Cymande,
The Standells,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
R.M.O.,
It's A Beautiful Day,
The Gun Club,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Excepter,
Brass Construction,
the Slits,
Sparks,
T.S.O.L.,
Faust,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Trojans,
Jacob Miller,
Sarah Menescal,
The Motions,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Alarm Clocks,
Swell Maps,
DJ Sneak,
Whodini,
Nick Fraelich,
Letta Mbulu,
Bizarre Inc.,
Michelle Simonal,
Mars,
Kas Product,
the Germs,
Trumans Water,
Massinfluence,
Gastr Del Sol,
Smog,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
A Certain Ratio,
the Soft Cell,
The Saints,
The Walker Brothers,
Joey Negro,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Slave,
Q65,
Angry Samoans,
X-101,
Throbbing Gristle,
Cybotron,
Sällskapet,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Offenders,
E-Dancer,
The Beau Brummels,
Freddie Wadling,
Cecil Taylor,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Minny Pops, Minny Pops, Minny Pops, Minny Pops.
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.