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 Uruguay and from Lille.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1968 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Cluster to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Magazine. All the underground hits.
All Bad Manners tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bang on a Can All-Stars record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 theremin and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Brothers Johnson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Mojo Men,
Joe Smooth,
The Zeros,
The Names,
Amazonics,
Easy Going,
Lindisfarne,
The Dead C,
Lebanon Hanover,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Grass Roots,
The Raincoats,
Lou Reed,
The Martian,
Brand Nubian,
Wings,
Skaos,
EPMD,
Marmalade,
Youth Brigade,
Pagans,
Minny Pops,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Second Layer,
Symarip,
The Associates,
Smog,
Junior Murvin,
Eve St. Jones,
Outsiders,
Flamin' Groovies,
Derrick May,
Cheater Slicks,
Charles Mingus,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Faraquet,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Sparks,
Sight & Sound,
Bauhaus,
Marvin Gaye,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Fugazi,
Gabor Szabo,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Black Bananas,
Gil Scott Heron,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
the Germs,
David Axelrod,
Terry Callier,
Robert Hood,
Arthur Verocai,
Harmonia,
Suburban Knight,
The Slackers,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
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.