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 Iraq and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Josef K show in Edinburgh.
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 1960 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 JFA 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 Mission of Burma. All the underground hits.
All Yaz tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every B.T. Express record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Neil Young & Crazy Horse record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Colin Newman,
The Doors,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Stooges,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Thompson Twins,
Flamin' Groovies,
Rapeman,
Marshall Jefferson,
Traffic Nightmare,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
The Toasters,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Mars,
Jesper Dahlback,
Mr. Review,
The Invisible,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Letta Mbulu,
Ultimate Spinach,
Arthur Verocai,
Kerri Chandler,
Maurizio,
Cal Tjader,
Bill Near,
Scott Walker,
Loose Ends,
Wire,
The Durutti Column,
World's Most,
Lee Hazlewood,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Lightning Bolt,
Graham Central Station,
Johnny Clarke,
The Associates,
A Certain Ratio,
John Lydon,
Joyce Sims,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
PIL,
Brothers Johnson,
Deakin,
Sam Rivers,
Prince Buster,
Amon Düül,
the Slits,
Half Japanese,
F. McDonald,
Marcia Griffiths,
Funky Four + One,
Can,
The Move,
David Bowie,
The Fortunes,
Con Funk Shun,
The Mojo Men,
Von Mondo,
Brand Nubian, Brand Nubian, Brand Nubian, Brand Nubian.
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.