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 Brunei and from Manchester.
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 1962 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 The Cosmic Jokers 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 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. All the underground hits.
All John Cale tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Saccharine Trust record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 marimba and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pagans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Bobby Byrd,
Moss Icon,
Wings,
Gerry Rafferty,
Soul Sonic Force,
Jandek,
The Stooges,
Chris & Cosey,
Graham Central Station,
The Mighty Diamonds,
David Axelrod,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Bobbi Humphrey,
The Dirtbombs,
Brass Construction,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Minnie Riperton,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Reagan Youth,
Hasil Adkins,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Lee Hazlewood,
The Gladiators,
The Blackbyrds,
Brothers Johnson,
Gang Green,
Bob Dylan,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Moby Grape,
Zero Boys,
Negative Approach,
Dawn Penn,
Harmonia,
The Detroit Cobras,
Ken Boothe,
Henry Cow,
Black Sheep,
Nils Olav,
Alison Limerick,
Rites of Spring,
The Count Five,
Black Pus,
The Moleskins,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Flamin' Groovies,
Oblivians,
Kas Product,
The Doors,
Don Cherry,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Zapp,
Derrick May,
Idris Muhammad,
The Toasters,
The Shadows of Knight,
Fela Kuti,
Rufus Thomas,
Kerrie Biddell,
Fugazi,
Basic Channel, Basic Channel, Basic Channel, Basic Channel.
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.