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 Portugal and from Manila.
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 1964 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the guitar 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 Standells to the rap 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 Cecil Taylor. All the underground hits.
All PIL tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Scrapy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Art Ensemble Of Chicago record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Scientists,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Adolescents,
Harpers Bizarre,
PIL,
The Vogues,
Laurel Aitken,
Ornette Coleman,
Radiohead,
Hot Snakes,
Michelle Simonal,
Monolake,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
John Foxx,
Ronnie Foster,
June Days,
Barrington Levy,
Wolf Eyes,
Tubeway Army,
Nas,
Throbbing Gristle,
The Happenings,
Siglo XX,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Silicon Teens,
Goldenarms,
Tears for Fears,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Flamin' Groovies,
Parry Music,
Matthew Bourne,
Visage,
The Dead C,
Amon Düül II,
Sun Ra,
Youth Brigade,
Crispy Ambulance,
Aural Exciters,
the Germs,
John Coltrane,
The Martian,
Marcia Griffiths,
Pere Ubu,
Eric B and Rakim,
Bill Near,
Tomorrow,
Wings,
Dawn Penn,
the Swans,
Sandy B,
Skriet,
Khruangbin,
Radio Birdman,
Hasil Adkins,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
A Certain Ratio, A Certain Ratio, A Certain Ratio, A Certain Ratio.
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.