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 Burundi and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1965 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Woodstock and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 The Real Kids to the funk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Graham Central Station. All the underground hits.
All Banda Bassotti tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ash Ra Tempel record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 a linndrum and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Fela Kuti record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe 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 Cramps,
Sällskapet,
Tommy Roe,
K-Klass,
Siglo XX,
The Sound,
the Germs,
Stereo Dub,
Derrick Morgan,
The Tremeloes,
Kevin Saunderson,
Nils Olav,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Mandrill,
Harry Pussy,
Quadrant,
The Human League,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
kango's stein massive,
Joey Negro,
Intrusion,
Johnny Clarke,
Ronnie Foster,
Roger Hodgson,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Spandau Ballet,
Lou Christie,
Echospace,
The Detroit Cobras,
Danielle Patucci,
Flash Fearless,
the Normal,
Lakeside,
Camberwell Now,
Main Source,
Second Layer,
Radio Birdman,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Grandmaster Flash,
Peter and Kerry,
Ultimate Spinach,
Hardrive,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Symarip,
Animal Collective,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Jeru the Damaja,
Steve Hackett,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
World's Most,
Technova,
Arcadia,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Joy Division,
Chrome,
Faraquet,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Man Parrish,
Funky Four + One,
Black Moon,
Nik Kershaw,
Alton Ellis,
Skarface,
David Axelrod, David Axelrod, David Axelrod, David Axelrod.
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.