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 Iran and from Taipei.
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 1960 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 1976 at the first Chic practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Beasts of Bourbon to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Eyeless In Gaza. All the underground hits.
All Scott Walker + Sunn O))) 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 punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Max Romeo record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
These Immortal Souls,
Arab on Radar,
Susan Cadogan,
X-Ray Spex,
Sparks,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Ossler,
Suicide,
The Kinks,
Drive Like Jehu,
the Sonics,
E-Dancer,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Minutemen,
Gregory Isaacs,
Ken Boothe,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Man Parrish,
cv313,
Underground Resistance,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Nik Kershaw,
Basic Channel,
Subhumans,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Deakin,
X-101,
Zero Boys,
John Holt,
48th St. Collective,
Alphaville,
Howard Jones,
Tres Demented,
the Germs,
Popol Vuh,
Von Mondo,
Marshall Jefferson,
Public Image Ltd.,
Grey Daturas,
The Martian,
Unrelated Segments,
Audionom,
Rufus Thomas,
Amon Düül,
Kas Product,
Rites of Spring,
Echospace,
Fat Boys,
The Smoke,
The Names,
Tommy Roe,
PIL,
the Swans,
Moebius,
Marvin Gaye,
The Five Americans,
The Skatalites,
The Dead C,
The Doors,
Bauhaus,
Chris & Cosey,
Half Japanese,
Gichy Dan,
Faust, Faust, Faust, Faust.
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.