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 Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in London.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Bremen.
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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Fad Gadget to the grunge 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 Fugazi. All the underground hits.
All Brand Nubian tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Connie Case record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rites of Spring record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Babytalk,
Lungfish,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Nas,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Tremeloes,
Minutemen,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
X-Ray Spex,
Sex Pistols,
MC5,
OOIOO,
Camouflage,
Carl Craig,
Fad Gadget,
Tres Demented,
Kenny Larkin,
The Cowsills,
Sonny Sharrock,
Unwound,
Kayak,
E-Dancer,
Stereo Dub,
Ohio Players,
Tom Boy,
Tears for Fears,
Nils Olav,
D'Angelo,
Gang of Four,
The Birthday Party,
John Cale,
Livin' Joy,
Deakin,
the Association,
Banda Bassotti,
Au Pairs,
Hoover,
A Certain Ratio,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Music Machine,
Spandau Ballet,
The Stooges,
AZ,
Albert Ayler,
Y Pants,
Subhumans,
Motorama,
Prince Buster,
Black Bananas,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Buzzcocks,
Dave Gahan,
Gastr Del Sol,
Royal Trux,
Pierre Henry,
Icehouse,
Rapeman,
Sexual Harrassment,
Lakeside,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Isaac Hayes,
Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan.
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.