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 Tajikistan and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1961 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Bologna.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Ice-T to the punk kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Gichy Dan. All the underground hits.
All The Skatalites tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Birthday Party record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Andrew Hill,
Essential Logic,
Inner City,
The Misunderstood,
The Smoke,
Rites of Spring,
Jeff Lynne,
The Fugs,
Robert Hood,
Sister Nancy,
The Leaves,
Ronan,
The Dirtbombs,
Al Stewart,
Dead Boys,
The Detroit Cobras,
The Moleskins,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Jerry's Kids,
Arthur Verocai,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
This Heat,
UT,
Roxette,
Barclay James Harvest,
the Normal,
Mantronix,
Quantec,
Supertramp,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Moody Blues,
Ultravox,
AZ,
Bill Wells,
In Retrospect,
Interpol,
Cybotron,
Soft Cell,
Alice Coltrane,
Ornette Coleman,
Slick Rick,
Tom Boy,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Livin' Joy,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Johnny Osbourne,
Mr. Review,
Model 500,
Fat Boys,
K-Klass,
Half Japanese,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Black Dice,
Scan 7,
Nico,
Patti Smith,
Fluxion,
Accadde A,
Brothers Johnson,
The Litter,
The Red Krayola,
Audionom, Audionom, Audionom, Audionom.
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.