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 Portugal and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1968 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 The Skatalites to the jazz 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 Ajijia Myrayebe. All the underground hits.
All Radiohead tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bang on a Can All-Stars 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Monochrome Set record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Move,
Donald Byrd,
Arthur Verocai,
The Moody Blues,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Durutti Column,
Au Pairs,
The Star Department,
Icehouse,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Don Cherry,
Eric B and Rakim,
Rakim,
Morten Harket,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Flash Fearless,
Rapeman,
The Real Kids,
OOIOO,
Delta 5,
JFA,
Jandek,
Piero Umiliani,
David Axelrod,
Pulsallama,
Can,
Accadde A,
Quantec,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Kerri Chandler,
Essential Logic,
Alison Limerick,
Pagans,
Rotary Connection,
Sandy B,
Blake Baxter,
This Heat,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Jacob Miller,
Rufus Thomas,
The Victims,
The Busters,
The Young Rascals,
Jerry's Kids,
Frankie Knuckles,
Terry Callier,
Marc Almond,
Deadbeat,
A Certain Ratio,
Nik Kershaw,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Scott Walker,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
EPMD,
Hasil Adkins,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Sun Ra,
Wire,
The Barracudas,
Minor Threat,
Mantronix,
Reagan Youth,
Gastr Del Sol,
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.