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 Afghanistan and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and New York.
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 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 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 Symarip to the punk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Justin Hinds & The Dominoes. All the underground hits.
All Jeff Mills tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Aaron Thompson record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Names record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Velvet Underground,
Moss Icon,
The Skatalites,
Bluetip,
the Normal,
Spoonie Gee,
Organ,
Nick Fraelich,
In Retrospect,
Flipper,
Saccharine Trust,
Bush Tetras,
The Techniques,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Cure,
Fela Kuti,
Nation of Ulysses,
Moebius,
Metal Thangz,
Gang of Four,
Swans,
Soulsonic Force,
The Alarm Clocks,
Avey Tare,
Rakim,
AZ,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
The Seeds,
Country Teasers,
The Selecter,
Minnie Riperton,
Wolf Eyes,
Boredoms,
Audionom,
The Stooges,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Young Marble Giants,
Grandmaster Flash,
Ponytail,
Chris Corsano,
Amon Düül,
Skarface,
Sällskapet,
These Immortal Souls,
Con Funk Shun,
Japan,
Marvin Gaye,
Harpers Bizarre,
David Axelrod,
Soul II Soul,
The Fire Engines,
Unwound,
Glenn Branca,
T.S.O.L.,
Kas Product,
Mr. Review,
Frankie Knuckles,
Harmonia,
Alton Ellis,
Schoolly D,
Accadde A, Accadde A, Accadde A, Accadde A.
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.