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 Kuwait and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1969 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 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 Stereo Dub to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Jandek. All the underground hits.
All Scratch Acid tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ohio Players record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 harpsichord and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Shuggie Otis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jawbox,
Connie Case,
Inner City,
Marine Girls,
The Skatalites,
The Zeros,
U.S. Maple,
Popol Vuh,
Sight & Sound,
Fluxion,
Blake Baxter,
These Immortal Souls,
Scratch Acid,
T.S.O.L.,
Amon Düül II,
OOIOO,
Moebius,
Goldenarms,
K-Klass,
David Bowie,
Radiohead,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Stockholm Monsters,
Deepchord,
Eurythmics,
Pulsallama,
Joensuu 1685,
Second Layer,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Brick,
Flipper,
Q65,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Zero Boys,
Skaos,
Bizarre Inc.,
Main Source,
CMW,
Ice-T,
Buzzcocks,
Dual Sessions,
The Busters,
Yazoo,
Oneida,
Swell Maps,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Rhythm & Sound,
Adolescents,
Thee Headcoats,
Mantronix,
10cc,
Henry Cow,
Lower 48,
The Real Kids,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Quantec,
Metal Thangz,
Bluetip,
John Cale,
Bronski Beat,
Brothers Johnson, Brothers Johnson, Brothers Johnson, Brothers Johnson.
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.