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 Albania and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1968 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Glasgow.
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 Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
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 Lou Reed to the jazz kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Jeff Lynne. All the underground hits.
All 8 Eyed Spy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eli Mardock 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 synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang On A Can record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare,
X-101,
The Tremeloes,
The Angels of Light,
Liliput,
The Young Rascals,
Marshall Jefferson,
John Holt,
Jimmy McGriff,
Lou Reed,
Gang Green,
Au Pairs,
Bush Tetras,
Public Image Ltd.,
The Smoke,
Mark Hollis,
Goldenarms,
The New Christs,
Essential Logic,
Joyce Sims,
James White and The Blacks,
Thee Headcoats,
Ralphi Rosario,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Idris Muhammad,
Brand Nubian,
Chris & Cosey,
Scientists,
Iggy Pop,
Eli Mardock,
Y Pants,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
The Invisible,
Massinfluence,
Freddie Wadling,
Minnie Riperton,
The Walker Brothers,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Niagra,
Lakeside,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Ornette Coleman,
The Fuzztones,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Dark Day,
Section 25,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Robert Wyatt,
Bob Dylan,
The Wake,
Slave,
Monolake,
Tubeway Army,
Toni Rubio,
Nico,
Traffic Nightmare,
the Slits,
Rekid,
Tres Demented,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Carl Craig,
Lightning Bolt,
The Zeros, The Zeros, The Zeros, The Zeros.
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.