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 India and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1967 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the theremin 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 Patti Smith to the punk 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 Gang Green. All the underground hits.
All Spoonie Gee tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Isaac Hayes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Oblivians record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joyce Sims,
Agent Orange,
These Immortal Souls,
the Germs,
Jandek,
Lower 48,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Ralphi Rosario,
Deepchord,
The Raincoats,
Eric Dolphy,
Al Stewart,
The Barracudas,
Franke,
Lalo Schifrin,
Outsiders,
Chris & Cosey,
Bobby Byrd,
D'Angelo,
Skaos,
Second Layer,
The Standells,
Pussy Galore,
Joy Division,
Bizarre Inc.,
Harmonia,
Los Fastidios,
Jerry's Kids,
Alphaville,
New York Dolls,
Wasted Youth,
Josef K,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The Young Rascals,
T. Rex,
Yellowson,
Terry Callier,
The Doobie Brothers,
Neu!,
Unrelated Segments,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Mark Hollis,
Gichy Dan,
Pulsallama,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Crispian St. Peters,
Tim Buckley,
The Human League,
Peter & Gordon,
Flash Fearless,
Livin' Joy,
Harpers Bizarre,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Animal Collective,
Aswad,
Guru Guru,
Depeche Mode,
Dual Sessions,
Young Marble Giants,
a-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha.
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.