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 Sudan and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 clarinet 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 Ultravox to the rap kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Trumans Water. All the underground hits.
All Hasil Adkins tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a PIL record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Modern Lovers,
the Slits,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
The Moleskins,
Maleditus Sound,
Nirvana,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Max Romeo,
Interpol,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Monochrome Set,
Judy Mowatt,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Grauzone,
Gil Scott Heron,
Circle Jerks,
Nils Olav,
Donny Hathaway,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Royal Trux,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
kango's stein massive,
The Skatalites,
Prince Buster,
Juan Atkins,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
ABBA,
Gang Gang Dance,
Quantec,
Leonard Cohen,
Joensuu 1685,
Con Funk Shun,
Quando Quango,
The Divine Comedy,
Thee Headcoats,
Buzzcocks,
Agitation Free,
David Bowie,
D'Angelo,
Alison Limerick,
Charles Mingus,
Barbara Tucker,
Blake Baxter,
The Slits,
The Searchers,
Yusef Lateef,
Joey Negro,
Lyres,
The Fuzztones,
Glambeats Corp.,
Minor Threat,
New Order,
Curtis Mayfield,
Alice Coltrane,
Laurel Aitken,
Mantronix,
The Sound,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Desert Stars,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Cecil Taylor, Cecil Taylor, Cecil Taylor, Cecil Taylor.
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.