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 Gabon and from Taipei.
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 1961 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 organ 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 Lyres to the electroclash 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 The Pop Group. All the underground hits.
All The Alarm Clocks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The New Christs record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Monks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Scan 7,
Japan,
Stockholm Monsters,
Sparks,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Quando Quango,
Kool Moe Dee,
Amon Düül,
Underground Resistance,
The Detroit Cobras,
Ten City,
Marc Almond,
The Gun Club,
Aaron Thompson,
Scott Walker,
The Music Machine,
Liliput,
Marvin Gaye,
The Blackbyrds,
Nik Kershaw,
Brand Nubian,
Altered Images,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Martian,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Groovy Waters,
Index,
Oblivians,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Lebanon Hanover,
Ultimate Spinach,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Pet Shop Boys,
Fugazi,
Clear Light,
The Busters,
The Doobie Brothers,
John Lydon,
Michelle Simonal,
UT,
Bob Dylan,
The Monochrome Set,
Jeru the Damaja,
Roy Ayers,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Joey Negro,
Delon & Dalcan,
Radio Birdman,
Sister Nancy,
Zapp,
Scientists,
Barbara Tucker,
Kenny Larkin,
The Young Rascals,
Roxy Music,
Jerry's Kids,
World's Most,
Fear,
Khruangbin,
Ultravox,
Wolf Eyes,
Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren.
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.