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 Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 808 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 Lizzy Mercier Descloux to the rock 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 Susan Cadogan. All the underground hits.
All Flamin' Groovies tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Larry & the Blue Notes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 an oboe and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rufus Thomas record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Nils Olav,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Accadde A,
Hasil Adkins,
Organ,
The Cure,
Hashim,
Mo-Dettes,
Intrusion,
The Techniques,
Kayak,
Loose Ends,
Gang Gang Dance,
DJ Sneak,
Second Layer,
Gerry Rafferty,
Mr. Review,
UT,
Archie Shepp,
AZ,
The Cowsills,
The Monochrome Set,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Andrew Hill,
Scion,
The Last Poets,
Glenn Branca,
The Durutti Column,
Wasted Youth,
Mission of Burma,
B.T. Express,
Unwound,
Nas,
Severed Heads,
Vladislav Delay,
Pussy Galore,
The Mummies,
Lalann,
Chris Corsano,
Tomorrow,
Nation of Ulysses,
Au Pairs,
Fela Kuti,
The Standells,
Bush Tetras,
Suicide,
Niagra,
Pagans,
Television Personalities,
Lindisfarne,
Marc Almond,
The Black Dice,
Goldenarms,
Henry Cow,
Warsaw,
Interpol,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
K-Klass,
Symarip,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
The Neon Judgement,
Thee Headcoats,
Quando Quango, Quando Quango, Quando Quango, Quando Quango.
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.