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 Nigeria and from Mumbai.
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 1969 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 F. McDonald to the electroclash 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 Godley & Creme. All the underground hits.
All The Pretty Things tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Vaughan Mason & Crew record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars 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 Angels of Light,
Rufus Thomas,
Technova,
The Slackers,
The Cure,
Moss Icon,
Outsiders,
Eden Ahbez,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Scion,
T.S.O.L.,
The Sonics,
Magazine,
Altered Images,
Throbbing Gristle,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Lower 48,
Sound Behaviour,
Johnny Clarke,
Lalann,
Ponytail,
Agent Orange,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Pussy Galore,
D'Angelo,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Toasters,
Nas,
Bill Wells,
Khruangbin,
Glenn Branca,
Harpers Bizarre,
Bauhaus,
The Gap Band,
Eurythmics,
Henry Cow,
Joey Negro,
Peter and Kerry,
Tim Buckley,
Sex Pistols,
Buzzcocks,
Swans,
Animal Collective,
Can,
Todd Terry,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Eric Dolphy,
The Misunderstood,
Rakim,
Black Flag,
Pylon,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Moebius,
Slick Rick,
Inner City,
X-101,
Pulsallama,
Mantronix,
Cal Tjader,
Silicon Teens, Silicon Teens, Silicon Teens, Silicon Teens.
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.