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 Salvador.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the theremin 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 Minny Pops to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 The Mojo Men. All the underground hits.
All The Five Americans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Josef K record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 808 and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Deadbeat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum 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 Techniques,
The Raincoats,
the Sonics,
Flamin' Groovies,
Oneida,
Dark Day,
Stereo Dub,
Susan Cadogan,
The Vogues,
John Lydon,
Negative Approach,
Accadde A,
Scion,
Theoretical Girls,
The Misunderstood,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Lightning Bolt,
Electric Prunes,
Rosa Yemen,
Maleditus Sound,
Country Teasers,
Hoover,
F. McDonald,
AZ,
Quantec,
The Neon Judgement,
Black Flag,
Gerry Rafferty,
H. Thieme,
The Barracudas,
World's Most,
Bobby Sherman,
Main Source,
Ken Boothe,
Little Man,
Bauhaus,
Quando Quango,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Pagans,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Reagan Youth,
Qualms,
Glambeats Corp.,
Mad Mike,
Bush Tetras,
Ludus,
Joy Division,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Agitation Free,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Scratch Acid,
Japan,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Urselle,
Flash Fearless,
Gastr Del Sol,
Roger Hodgson,
Boogie Down Productions,
the Germs,
Grandmaster Flash,
Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt.
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.