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 South Africa and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Soft Boys show in Cambridge.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Country Joe & The Fish to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Be Bop Deluxe. All the underground hits.
All Kango’s Stein Massive tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Hasil Adkins record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kool G Rap & DJ Polo record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Liliput,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Erykah Badu,
The Moleskins,
Grandmaster Flash,
Dave Gahan,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Aural Exciters,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Mr. Review,
Quadrant,
Popol Vuh,
The Cowsills,
The Cure,
Scratch Acid,
Colin Newman,
Rakim,
Gang Green,
Tropical Tobacco,
New York Dolls,
Soul II Soul,
Arthur Verocai,
Anakelly,
Kenny Larkin,
James White and The Blacks,
Glambeats Corp.,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Stiv Bators,
Aswad,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Rapeman,
Boogie Down Productions,
Beasts of Bourbon,
the Association,
Lower 48,
Yusef Lateef,
Ronan,
The Kinks,
Minor Threat,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
L. Decosne,
Tommy Roe,
Sex Pistols,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Cluster,
Bad Manners,
Matthew Halsall,
Eric Dolphy,
the Human League,
The Fuzztones,
Johnny Clarke,
Mandrill,
MC5,
The Standells,
Wally Richardson,
Donny Hathaway,
Moss Icon,
Accadde A,
Joey Negro,
Radiohead,
Minutemen,
The Red Krayola, The Red Krayola, The Red Krayola, The Red Krayola.
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.