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 Cape Verde and from Stockholm.
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 1963 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Lindisfarne to the funk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Arab on Radar. All the underground hits.
All The Moleskins tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Evens record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Throbbing Gristle record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Red Krayola,
Negative Approach,
Joy Division,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
a-ha,
The Saints,
Depeche Mode,
Howard Jones,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Theoretical Girls,
The Index,
Model 500,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Isaac Hayes,
Y Pants,
Juan Atkins,
Animal Collective,
Robert Wyatt,
Skarface,
Minnie Riperton,
The Moody Blues,
the Germs,
the Fania All-Stars,
Soul Sonic Force,
Eurythmics,
Robert Hood,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Shoche,
Nico,
Pulsallama,
F. McDonald,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Last Poets,
The Beau Brummels,
Shuggie Otis,
Ituana,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Tremeloes,
Ken Boothe,
Sound Behaviour,
Loose Ends,
Flash Fearless,
Guru Guru,
Essential Logic,
Rotary Connection,
Oneida,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Ronan,
Quando Quango,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Bush Tetras,
Marine Girls,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The Doobie Brothers,
Bang On A Can,
Vladislav Delay,
Motorama,
Radiopuhelimet,
Vainqueur,
Mark Hollis,
Kerri Chandler, Kerri Chandler, Kerri Chandler, Kerri Chandler.
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.