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 Jamaica and from Sao Paulo.
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 1963 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Sao Paulo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 oboe 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 Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft to the rock kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Electric Light Orchestra. All the underground hits.
All Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Average White Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 snare and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Vogues record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a güiro.
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,
Idris Muhammad,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Sun Ra,
Brick,
Newcleus,
MC5,
Piero Umiliani,
UT,
Swell Maps,
Hardrive,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Joey Negro,
Niagra,
Surgeon,
The Techniques,
Godley & Creme,
Banda Bassotti,
Nils Olav,
Pet Shop Boys,
Crispian St. Peters,
Half Japanese,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The J.B.'s,
Rhythm & Sound,
F. McDonald,
The Zeros,
In Retrospect,
Junior Murvin,
Reuben Wilson,
Qualms,
Talk Talk,
Bobby Byrd,
Flash Fearless,
Boz Scaggs,
Minutemen,
Deepchord,
China Crisis,
X-102,
Basic Channel,
Sandy B,
Flamin' Groovies,
Althea and Donna,
Judy Mowatt,
Tubeway Army,
Ultimate Spinach,
The Seeds,
Guru Guru,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Smiths,
Deakin,
Mission of Burma,
B.T. Express,
Rakim,
Nas,
The Beau Brummels,
The Buckinghams,
Dual Sessions,
The Remains,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy.
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.