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 Vanuatu and from Stockholm.
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 1969 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the guitar 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 Flamin' Groovies to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 8 Eyed Spy. All the underground hits.
All Eurythmics tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Arcadia record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Standells,
Subhumans,
Talk Talk,
L. Decosne,
The Fortunes,
The Smiths,
Bush Tetras,
Monolake,
Danielle Patucci,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Make Up,
The Fall,
The Buckinghams,
Television,
Boogie Down Productions,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Joe Finger,
Barry Ungar,
Lou Reed,
Gichy Dan,
Simply Red,
Sam Rivers,
The Divine Comedy,
Nas,
The New Christs,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Spoonie Gee,
Reagan Youth,
The Star Department,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Mark Hollis,
Jeff Mills,
Crispy Ambulance,
Bang On A Can,
John Coltrane,
Severed Heads,
the Fania All-Stars,
Soft Machine,
Section 25,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
New Order,
Urselle,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Gladiators,
The Blues Magoos,
Fugazi,
Ken Boothe,
Connie Case,
Fear,
Harry Pussy,
Joe Smooth,
Blancmange,
Unwound,
8 Eyed Spy,
X-101,
AZ,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Blackbyrds,
Kurtis Blow,
Country Teasers,
The Kinks, The Kinks, The Kinks, The Kinks.
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.