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 Philadelphia.
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 1962 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon to the rock 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 Subhumans. All the underground hits.
All Jerry Gold Smith tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ultimate Spinach record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Desert Stars,
Sam Rivers,
Popol Vuh,
Joe Smooth,
Jandek,
Second Layer,
Joyce Sims,
The Beau Brummels,
Carl Craig,
Scott Walker,
The Music Machine,
Cal Tjader,
Gil Scott Heron,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
ABC,
The Fortunes,
Grauzone,
Stiv Bators,
Terry Callier,
Juan Atkins,
Eurythmics,
Hot Snakes,
Maleditus Sound,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Radiohead,
The Techniques,
Flamin' Groovies,
Main Source,
Andrew Hill,
The Grass Roots,
Ten City,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Henry Cow,
Camouflage,
Sparks,
Mantronix,
Moss Icon,
Lalo Schifrin,
Charles Mingus,
Dave Gahan,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Faraquet,
The Sound,
Erykah Badu,
Cheater Slicks,
Yusef Lateef,
The Black Dice,
The Tremeloes,
Whodini,
Reagan Youth,
New York Dolls,
The Velvet Underground,
Nick Fraelich,
a-ha,
Sonny Sharrock,
Hardrive,
Alton Ellis,
Pet Shop Boys,
Donny Hathaway,
The Vogues,
John Lydon,
David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie.
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.