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 Pakistan and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 arpeggiator 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 Ash Ra Tempel to the disco 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 Patti Smith. All the underground hits.
All John Cale tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sun Ra Arkestra record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a In Retrospect record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Qualms,
The Pretty Things,
Minny Pops,
Gang Starr,
Country Teasers,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
H. Thieme,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Rufus Thomas,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Slackers,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Intrusion,
8 Eyed Spy,
Ralphi Rosario,
Man Parrish,
Soul Sonic Force,
Jeff Mills,
Buzzcocks,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Piero Umiliani,
T. Rex,
John Cale,
The Walker Brothers,
Peter and Kerry,
Roy Ayers,
Scratch Acid,
Severed Heads,
Sonic Youth,
Banda Bassotti,
Rekid,
June Days,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Delta 5,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
E-Dancer,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Bizarre Inc.,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Robert Hood,
Animal Collective,
Ohio Players,
Lee Hazlewood,
La Düsseldorf,
The Alarm Clocks,
Tommy Roe,
The Black Dice,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Names,
Frankie Knuckles,
Jeru the Damaja,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Gang Green,
Television Personalities,
Michelle Simonal,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Matthew Halsall,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth, Reagan Youth.
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.