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 Suriname and from Lyon.
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 1960 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Hong Kong.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The Trojans to the funk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 The Gap Band. All the underground hits.
All Minnie Riperton tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Modern Lovers record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 güiro and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Be Bop Deluxe 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?
Jacques Brel,
The Neon Judgement,
Todd Rundgren,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Camouflage,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
The Dead C,
Wasted Youth,
Brothers Johnson,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Boogie Down Productions,
The Golliwogs,
Ronnie Foster,
the Normal,
Guru Guru,
Josef K,
Bootsy Collins,
Ornette Coleman,
Jerry's Kids,
The Index,
Pierre Henry,
Crash Course in Science,
the Sonics,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Accadde A,
Eden Ahbez,
Ultravox,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Young Marble Giants,
The Saints,
Soul Sonic Force,
Essential Logic,
Groovy Waters,
Nick Fraelich,
The J.B.'s,
U.S. Maple,
CMW,
The Misunderstood,
Main Source,
Unrelated Segments,
the Slits,
The Smiths,
Grey Daturas,
Shoche,
Blake Baxter,
Reagan Youth,
Au Pairs,
Bobby Sherman,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
the Association,
The Slits,
Radiohead,
Country Teasers,
Lebanon Hanover,
Faust,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Kurtis Blow,
Stiv Bators,
The Moleskins,
Kevin Saunderson,
Livin' Joy,
Con Funk Shun, Con Funk Shun, Con Funk Shun, Con Funk Shun.
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.