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 Chad and from Lagos.
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 1967 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Woodstock.
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 1978 at the first Visage practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Ituana to the rock kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Japan. All the underground hits.
All Drive Like Jehu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Saccharine Trust record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Grauzone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lou Christie,
Lower 48,
These Immortal Souls,
Circle Jerks,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Crooked Eye,
Heaven 17,
The Cowsills,
Gerry Rafferty,
the Association,
Tres Demented,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Joe Smooth,
Sonic Youth,
Henry Cow,
Bill Wells,
H. Thieme,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Bob Dylan,
Blake Baxter,
Jeff Lynne,
The Young Rascals,
Grey Daturas,
the Human League,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Quando Quango,
Byron Stingily,
Nas,
The Smiths,
Drexciya,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Gabor Szabo,
the Fania All-Stars,
B.T. Express,
The Index,
Lyres,
Buzzcocks,
Black Bananas,
Smog,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Barclay James Harvest,
Eden Ahbez,
Piero Umiliani,
The Sound,
Bizarre Inc.,
Matthew Halsall,
K-Klass,
The Associates,
Youth Brigade,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
48th St. Collective,
Soft Cell,
The Fuzztones,
Jimmy McGriff,
Cameo,
The Barracudas,
Alphaville,
Goldenarms,
Eric Dolphy,
10cc,
Ronan,
Fear, Fear, Fear, Fear.
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.