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 Haiti and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1965 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Fear to the funk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Public Enemy. All the underground hits.
All The Skatalites tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marshall Jefferson 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gang of Four record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin 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 Fire Engines,
Slick Rick,
Inner City,
Wally Richardson,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Gichy Dan,
the Normal,
Half Japanese,
Goldenarms,
Altered Images,
Ronan,
The Mojo Men,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Throbbing Gristle,
Jesper Dahlback,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Birthday Party,
Brothers Johnson,
Camberwell Now,
Al Stewart,
The Kinks,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Vladislav Delay,
Mars,
The Slackers,
Gong,
Ice-T,
Gang Gang Dance,
Bobby Hutcherson,
These Immortal Souls,
Kurtis Blow,
Patti Smith,
The Motions,
The Moleskins,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Gun Club,
Quadrant,
Silicon Teens,
Marmalade,
Monolake,
Section 25,
Absolute Body Control,
Barry Ungar,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Quando Quango,
Dawn Penn,
Prince Buster,
Cluster,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Residents,
Donald Byrd,
Kenny Larkin,
Los Fastidios,
Cecil Taylor,
Guru Guru,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Erykah Badu,
The Associates,
Sex Pistols,
Sexual Harrassment, Sexual Harrassment, Sexual Harrassment, Sexual Harrassment.
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.