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 South Africa and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1966 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Slick Rick. All the underground hits.
All Alphaville tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Stereo Dub record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a the Slits record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Mighty Diamonds,
Accadde A,
Visage,
Avey Tare,
EPMD,
Marshall Jefferson,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Wolf Eyes,
Rod Modell,
Fat Boys,
Robert Görl,
Barry Ungar,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Khruangbin,
Youth Brigade,
The Fuzztones,
Steve Hackett,
Echospace,
Deadbeat,
Boogie Down Productions,
Joey Negro,
Bobby Byrd,
Lucky Dragons,
June Days,
Metal Thangz,
The Angels of Light,
Kool Moe Dee,
Chris & Cosey,
The American Breed,
Harmonia,
Tubeway Army,
Wasted Youth,
H. Thieme,
Cybotron,
Albert Ayler,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Residents,
Roxy Music,
Trumans Water,
Public Enemy,
Rekid,
Symarip,
X-102,
Can,
Basic Channel,
Lou Christie,
Skriet,
Mary Jane Girls,
Deakin,
LL Cool J,
Von Mondo,
Drive Like Jehu,
Cal Tjader,
Iggy Pop,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Spoonie Gee,
Crispian St. Peters,
Slick Rick,
Hoover,
Monks, Monks, Monks, Monks.
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.