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 Kuwait and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1966 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 electroclash 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 The Men They Couldn't Hang. All the underground hits.
All Rahsaan Roland Kirk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Arcadia record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a New York Dolls record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Offenders,
the Association,
Lindisfarne,
The United States of America,
the Fania All-Stars,
Model 500,
Josef K,
Rites of Spring,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Duran Duran,
Newcleus,
Man Parrish,
Terry Callier,
The Grass Roots,
Jesper Dahlback,
Archie Shepp,
The Neon Judgement,
The Misunderstood,
Gregory Isaacs,
Das Ding,
Marc Almond,
The Doors,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
CMW,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Modern Lovers,
FM Einheit,
John Holt,
Erasure,
Bobby Byrd,
Jerry Gold Smith,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Qualms,
Kenny Larkin,
Johnny Osbourne,
Jeru the Damaja,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Sam Rivers,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Throbbing Gristle,
the Sonics,
E-Dancer,
Magma,
Arthur Verocai,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Ronnie Foster,
Ohio Players,
The New Christs,
Cal Tjader,
Lou Christie,
Robert Görl,
Pere Ubu,
Nik Kershaw,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Depeche Mode,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Tropical Tobacco,
Hashim, Hashim, Hashim, Hashim.
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.