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 Germany and from Glasgow.
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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Gregory Isaacs to the rap 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 The Cramps. All the underground hits.
All DNA tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rekid record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Organ record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Qualms,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Cowsills,
Moby Grape,
Gang Green,
The Beau Brummels,
The Fortunes,
Neu!,
Stiv Bators,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Liliput,
Procol Harum,
the Bar-Kays,
Make Up,
Jeff Lynne,
Wings,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Index,
H. Thieme,
DJ Sneak,
Silicon Teens,
Moss Icon,
Eric B and Rakim,
Idris Muhammad,
Babytalk,
Ultravox,
Ultimate Spinach,
The Electric Prunes,
the Germs,
Isaac Hayes,
Mr. Review,
Sarah Menescal,
Black Flag,
Radiohead,
The Star Department,
The Residents,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Knickerbockers,
Youth Brigade,
In Retrospect,
Aural Exciters,
Roger Hodgson,
The Blues Magoos,
Jawbox,
The Red Krayola,
World's Most,
Quando Quango,
Harmonia,
Television Personalities,
Nik Kershaw,
The Kinks,
X-101,
Pantytec,
Sight & Sound,
Little Man,
The Saints,
Connie Case,
The J.B.'s,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Jandek, Jandek, Jandek, Jandek.
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.