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 Mexico and from Jakarta.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Manila.
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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 David McCallum to the electroclash kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Index. All the underground hits.
All Agitation Free tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sun Ra record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Star Department,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Yellowson,
Clear Light,
Jeff Lynne,
The Toasters,
Thompson Twins,
Kaleidoscope,
Kerrie Biddell,
Malaria!,
Joey Negro,
CMW,
The Moody Blues,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Slackers,
Pulsallama,
Anthony Braxton,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Crime,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Techniques,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Panda Bear,
Tom Boy,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Lee Hazlewood,
The Young Rascals,
Pantaleimon,
Ten City,
Johnny Osbourne,
the Association,
Vladislav Delay,
Minutemen,
The J.B.'s,
Soft Cell,
Marshall Jefferson,
Schoolly D,
B.T. Express,
The Stooges,
The Saints,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Symarip,
Desert Stars,
Hot Snakes,
Buzzcocks,
the Human League,
Altered Images,
Monks,
Ornette Coleman,
Organ,
The Red Krayola,
The Residents,
Sam Rivers,
The Names,
Warsaw,
Soulsonic Force,
Aswad,
Nas,
Blancmange,
Hoover,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Little Man,
Qualms, Qualms, Qualms, Qualms.
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.