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 Bahrain and from Seoul.
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 1963 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 theremin 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 Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band to the disco kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Crispy Ambulance. All the underground hits.
All The Fire Engines tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Country Teasers 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Modern Lovers record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Tears for Fears,
Gong,
Connie Case,
John Holt,
the Human League,
Grauzone,
Yaz,
Kool Moe Dee,
Fatback Band,
The Mojo Men,
Excepter,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Television,
Lakeside,
Pierre Henry,
Leonard Cohen,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Country Teasers,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Delon & Dalcan,
Schoolly D,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Patti Smith,
Swell Maps,
Jandek,
a-ha,
The Associates,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Barry Ungar,
Scratch Acid,
June of 44,
The Real Kids,
Marmalade,
Sandy B,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Bluetip,
Los Fastidios,
OOIOO,
T. Rex,
Spoonie Gee,
Roxy Music,
The Dead C,
Audionom,
Dual Sessions,
David McCallum,
Hasil Adkins,
Isaac Hayes,
Pulsallama,
Curtis Mayfield,
John Cale,
Stockholm Monsters,
Bronski Beat,
Rapeman,
Suburban Knight,
The Fall,
Hashim,
Severed Heads,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Joensuu 1685,
London Community Gospel Choir,
One Last Wish, One Last Wish, One Last Wish, One Last Wish.
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.