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 France and from Lille.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Liliput to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Selector Dub Narcotic. All the underground hits.
All Andrew Hill tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ludus record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tropical Tobacco record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Doobie Brothers,
Intrusion,
The Leaves,
Public Enemy,
8 Eyed Spy,
Alison Limerick,
Silicon Teens,
ABC,
Tres Demented,
Kas Product,
Junior Murvin,
T. Rex,
Gang of Four,
The Litter,
Minny Pops,
Simply Red,
The Shadows of Knight,
Kenny Larkin,
Todd Rundgren,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
John Coltrane,
Bush Tetras,
The Slackers,
H. Thieme,
Oblivians,
Lower 48,
John Holt,
Youth Brigade,
Wally Richardson,
Kerri Chandler,
The J.B.'s,
Gastr Del Sol,
Carl Craig,
Bluetip,
Al Stewart,
Yusef Lateef,
Josef K,
Stiv Bators,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Tremeloes,
Shoche,
Radiohead,
Aural Exciters,
Gabor Szabo,
The Black Dice,
Darondo,
Black Pus,
Minor Threat,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Beau Brummels,
The Dead C,
Sister Nancy,
the Human League,
Fad Gadget,
the Swans,
Oneida,
Talk Talk,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Eric Dolphy,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Colin Newman,
Johnny Clarke,
Idris Muhammad, Idris Muhammad, Idris Muhammad, Idris Muhammad.
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.