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 Ethiopia and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 The Sound to the grime kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Lalann. All the underground hits.
All The Moody Blues tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Panda Bear record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Amazonics,
Flamin' Groovies,
Prince Buster,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Modern Lovers,
Scratch Acid,
The Shadows of Knight,
World's Most,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Goldenarms,
Ronnie Foster,
Whodini,
Danielle Patucci,
Aswad,
Todd Terry,
Joy Division,
These Immortal Souls,
Fat Boys,
Lower 48,
Traffic Nightmare,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Pantaleimon,
Gang of Four,
Todd Rundgren,
Swell Maps,
Grandmaster Flash,
Jeff Mills,
Mad Mike,
Reuben Wilson,
Swans,
Cecil Taylor,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Tropical Tobacco,
Sex Pistols,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Amon Düül II,
Supertramp,
Symarip,
Radiopuhelimet,
Banda Bassotti,
Neil Young,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Gong,
Terrestrial Tones,
The Buckinghams,
The Slits,
Cymande,
Public Enemy,
Darondo,
Grey Daturas,
Slave,
Hasil Adkins,
Pussy Galore,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Man Eating Sloth,
The Litter,
One Last Wish,
The Barracudas,
It's A Beautiful Day,
The Associates,
The Flesh Eaters,
Joe Finger,
James White and The Blacks, James White and The Blacks, James White and The Blacks, James White and The Blacks.
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.