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 Micronesia and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 theremin 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 Reuben Wilson to the rap kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Crime. All the underground hits.
All Ken Boothe tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every the Slits record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The J.B.'s record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Zeros,
Sex Pistols,
The Sound,
cv313,
The Martian,
Angry Samoans,
Rakim,
Interpol,
Country Teasers,
Black Flag,
Depeche Mode,
Barry Ungar,
New Age Steppers,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Bobby Byrd,
Lungfish,
The Stooges,
The Gories,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Eli Mardock,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Archie Shepp,
Max Romeo,
Crash Course in Science,
Morten Harket,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
The Music Machine,
Pet Shop Boys,
Amon Düül II,
Black Pus,
Simply Red,
Warsaw,
The Neon Judgement,
Parry Music,
the Human League,
Ludus,
The Slackers,
Fela Kuti,
Section 25,
Procol Harum,
Barbara Tucker,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Kas Product,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Mad Mike,
June Days,
Nirvana,
The Cramps,
Boredoms,
MDC,
Tears for Fears,
The Detroit Cobras,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Monolake,
Pantaleimon,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Ossler, Ossler, Ossler, Ossler.
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.