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 Iceland and from Sao Paulo.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 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 Bang on a Can All-Stars to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Gichy Dan. All the underground hits.
All The Pretty Things tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Malaria! record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 spring reverb and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Robert Görl record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Juan Atkins,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Bobby Sherman,
LL Cool J,
Swans,
Nirvana,
Trumans Water,
Bizarre Inc.,
Mr. Review,
Cybotron,
Television Personalities,
Sonic Youth,
Rosa Yemen,
Sight & Sound,
Joyce Sims,
Animal Collective,
Qualms,
Soft Cell,
The Star Department,
Royal Trux,
The Selecter,
The Divine Comedy,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Public Image Ltd.,
Surgeon,
Jacques Brel,
The Toasters,
Chris Corsano,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
E-Dancer,
MDC,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Iggy Pop,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Aloha Tigers,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
JFA,
Organ,
John Lydon,
Flash Fearless,
Rufus Thomas,
Davy DMX,
Howard Jones,
World's Most,
Laurel Aitken,
The Dirtbombs,
T.S.O.L.,
Index,
The Durutti Column,
Electric Light Orchestra,
The Remains,
Monks,
Sonny Sharrock,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Marc Almond,
The Cramps,
Al Stewart,
Eden Ahbez,
Stockholm Monsters,
The Birthday Party,
Bush Tetras, Bush Tetras, Bush Tetras, Bush Tetras.
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.