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 Zambia and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1973.
I was there at the first Television show in New York.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Manila.
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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Gregory Isaacs to the electroclash 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 Pole. All the underground hits.
All Derrick Morgan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Motorama record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Arcadia record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rufus Thomas,
New York Dolls,
Patti Smith,
Curtis Mayfield,
Carl Craig,
Danielle Patucci,
Scan 7,
The Motions,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Derrick Morgan,
Scott Walker,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Pantaleimon,
Howard Jones,
Sister Nancy,
The Human League,
The United States of America,
Boogie Down Productions,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Selecter,
Symarip,
Loose Ends,
Minny Pops,
Warren Ellis,
Radio Birdman,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Trumans Water,
Duran Duran,
The Offenders,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
The Slits,
Kurtis Blow,
Shuggie Otis,
Gil Scott Heron,
Siglo XX,
Robert Görl,
Spoonie Gee,
Clear Light,
The Happenings,
Black Sheep,
Pylon,
Metal Thangz,
Charles Mingus,
Boredoms,
Fugazi,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Brass Construction,
Fela Kuti,
Make Up,
Neil Young,
Nico,
Idris Muhammad,
The Gap Band,
Tubeway Army,
Hardrive,
Skriet,
Desert Stars,
the Slits,
Quando Quango,
Sarah Menescal,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Delon & Dalcan,
Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins, Juan Atkins.
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.