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 Belarus and from Paris.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Neu! show in Düsseldorf.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
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 Ponytail to the grime 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 Section 25. All the underground hits.
All Prince Buster tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Blues Magoos record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a snare 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 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?
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Joe Smooth,
Jeff Lynne,
Magazine,
Ten City,
Slick Rick,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Jawbox,
Groovy Waters,
Quando Quango,
The Cramps,
Rufus Thomas,
Niagra,
D'Angelo,
Loose Ends,
Deakin,
Scratch Acid,
the Human League,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Happenings,
Oblivians,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Bauhaus,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Liliput,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
John Lydon,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
AZ,
the Association,
Massinfluence,
Sparks,
Albert Ayler,
Gang Starr,
L. Decosne,
Kayak,
Mr. Review,
The Zeros,
Eve St. Jones,
Ultimate Spinach,
Judy Mowatt,
Trumans Water,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Swans,
Agent Orange,
Second Layer,
Mark Hollis,
Saccharine Trust,
Unrelated Segments,
Joyce Sims,
Radio Birdman,
Terrestrial Tones,
ABC,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Babytalk,
Sarah Menescal,
Spoonie Gee,
Nico,
Ossler,
Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren.
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.