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 Malawi and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1964 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Cameo to the dance 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 Peter & Gordon. All the underground hits.
All Scrapy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every James Chance & The Contortions 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Scott Walker record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Moleskins,
New Order,
Girls At Our Best!,
Robert Wyatt,
Faust,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Brick,
Albert Ayler,
Roger Hodgson,
The Names,
Sällskapet,
Sam Rivers,
CMW,
Skarface,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Nick Fraelich,
8 Eyed Spy,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Scott Walker,
The Divine Comedy,
Max Romeo,
kango's stein massive,
Camberwell Now,
Andrew Hill,
The Selecter,
The Smiths,
ABC,
Q and Not U,
Peter & Gordon,
Make Up,
Rhythm & Sound,
Spandau Ballet,
The Doors,
Black Flag,
The Residents,
Rod Modell,
Groovy Waters,
The Mojo Men,
Youth Brigade,
Livin' Joy,
the Slits,
Tres Demented,
the Sonics,
Barclay James Harvest,
Stereo Dub,
Jandek,
Moby Grape,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
the Bar-Kays,
Cecil Taylor,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Thee Headcoats,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
LL Cool J,
Brothers Johnson,
The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground.
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.