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 Macedonia and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Taipei.
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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band to the grunge kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 10cc. All the underground hits.
All Adolescents tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Moby Grape record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sister Nancy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Alphaville,
Man Parrish,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
the Fania All-Stars,
June Days,
Throbbing Gristle,
Sonny Sharrock,
Todd Terry,
Popol Vuh,
Cymande,
Hoover,
Ponytail,
Sarah Menescal,
Procol Harum,
Janne Schatter,
Newcleus,
Porter Ricks,
Agent Orange,
DJ Style,
Pere Ubu,
Banda Bassotti,
Ultra Naté,
Sun Ra,
Pylon,
Heaven 17,
The Five Americans,
Bootsy Collins,
The Kinks,
T. Rex,
Faraquet,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Moody Blues,
Marshall Jefferson,
Sister Nancy,
Khruangbin,
Icehouse,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Laurel Aitken,
Fela Kuti,
The Flesh Eaters,
Basic Channel,
Lower 48,
Arthur Verocai,
Tropical Tobacco,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Jimmy McGriff,
Rosa Yemen,
Michelle Simonal,
X-102,
June of 44,
Ten City,
Swans,
Moebius,
Infiniti,
Bobby Hutcherson,
The J.B.'s,
Gregory Isaacs,
Boz Scaggs,
Funky Four + One,
Joe Smooth,
Josef K,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
The Star Department,
Sun Ra Arkestra, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sun Ra Arkestra.
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.