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 Afghanistan and from Houston.
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 1967 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 chamberlin 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 Flamin' Groovies to the dance 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 Buzzcocks. All the underground hits.
All Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Laurel Aitken record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 harpsichord and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sight & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Tomorrow,
Jimmy McGriff,
Brick,
Yaz,
The Leaves,
Adolescents,
Vladislav Delay,
Eve St. Jones,
Vainqueur,
Popol Vuh,
New Age Steppers,
Livin' Joy,
Fear,
Alphaville,
Tom Boy,
Eden Ahbez,
Babytalk,
Rufus Thomas,
Essential Logic,
The Gladiators,
Wings,
the Slits,
The United States of America,
Chris Corsano,
Kerri Chandler,
Amon Düül,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Minnie Riperton,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Bobby Womack,
The Tremeloes,
The Move,
Patti Smith,
Funky Four + One,
Juan Atkins,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Cluster,
AZ,
Dave Gahan,
H. Thieme,
The Black Dice,
Kaleidoscope,
Kurtis Blow,
Goldenarms,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Excepter,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Grandmaster Flash,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Angry Samoans,
Desert Stars,
Mad Mike,
Lyres,
Fatback Band,
Mandrill,
a-ha,
Man Parrish,
The Real Kids,
The Offenders, The Offenders, The Offenders, The Offenders.
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.