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 Angola and from Delhi.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Terry Callier to the punk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Dead C. All the underground hits.
All Radiopuhelimet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks 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 linndrum and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a kango's stein massive record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Pere Ubu,
Organ,
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Fall,
Negative Approach,
Lalo Schifrin,
Sister Nancy,
Adolescents,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Ronnie Foster,
Ornette Coleman,
The United States of America,
LL Cool J,
Make Up,
Mission of Burma,
Delta 5,
the Fania All-Stars,
Derrick May,
Eli Mardock,
ABC,
Johnny Osbourne,
The Five Americans,
Nik Kershaw,
Ronan,
Soul Sonic Force,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Unrelated Segments,
Joe Finger,
Camberwell Now,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Radiohead,
Mandrill,
Gang Starr,
Black Pus,
Freddie Wadling,
Pierre Henry,
Heaven 17,
Masters at Work,
Crime,
Robert Görl,
Goldenarms,
Cymande,
Al Stewart,
UT,
Charles Mingus,
Loose Ends,
Wire,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Jacques Brel,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Marmalade,
the Soft Cell,
New Age Steppers,
Man Eating Sloth,
Graham Central Station,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Qualms,
John Coltrane,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Malaria!,
Newcleus,
The Misunderstood, The Misunderstood, The Misunderstood, The Misunderstood.
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.