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 Belize and from Hong Kong.
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 1964 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 harpsichord 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 Tommy Roe to the punk 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 Isaac Hayes. All the underground hits.
All Brothers Johnson tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gary Puckett & The Union Gap 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Remains record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Pretty Things,
Soul Sonic Force,
Jerry's Kids,
Make Up,
Minor Threat,
Wally Richardson,
Flash Fearless,
Vainqueur,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Skarface,
The Standells,
Soft Cell,
Scion,
Graham Central Station,
Lyres,
Anakelly,
Popol Vuh,
Mary Jane Girls,
Reuben Wilson,
Yellowson,
June Days,
Oneida,
KRS-One,
World's Most,
Cal Tjader,
La Düsseldorf,
Cameo,
The Trojans,
Faraquet,
Young Marble Giants,
Gichy Dan,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Byron Stingily,
Cybotron,
Agitation Free,
Fat Boys,
Avey Tare,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Jandek,
Man Parrish,
The Seeds,
Cecil Taylor,
Todd Rundgren,
Laurel Aitken,
Wasted Youth,
Ultravox,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Index,
Mark Hollis,
Outsiders,
CMW,
Pierre Henry,
Morten Harket,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Lower 48,
The Move,
Bang On A Can,
Radio Birdman,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Sarah Menescal,
JFA,
Isaac Hayes, Isaac Hayes, Isaac Hayes, Isaac Hayes.
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.