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 Comoros and from Philadelphia.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Tim Buckley to the rap 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 Franke. All the underground hits.
All Gregory Isaacs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Harpers Bizarre record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Selecter,
Ten City,
Eric B and Rakim,
Guru Guru,
Pole,
The Five Americans,
10cc,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Brick,
Eden Ahbez,
Bootsy Collins,
Piero Umiliani,
Cluster,
The Remains,
Aaron Thompson,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Porter Ricks,
Jandek,
Q and Not U,
Harry Pussy,
Newcleus,
ABC,
Moss Icon,
The Fire Engines,
Soft Machine,
Accadde A,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Fad Gadget,
Flamin' Groovies,
Shuggie Otis,
Sight & Sound,
June of 44,
Marvin Gaye,
The Trojans,
The Mummies,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Detroit Cobras,
Joyce Sims,
Erasure,
Adolescents,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Procol Harum,
Electric Prunes,
Q65,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Television Personalities,
PIL,
Chris & Cosey,
Sam Rivers,
The Gories,
The Smoke,
Hasil Adkins,
Fluxion,
Anthony Braxton,
Kenny Larkin,
The Flesh Eaters,
MC5,
a-ha,
The Dead C,
kango's stein massive,
Pet Shop Boys,
Neil Young, Neil Young, Neil Young, Neil Young.
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.