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 South Sudan and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Josef K show in Edinburgh.
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 1968 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Edmonton and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 snare 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 Joe Smooth to the grime kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 The Toasters. All the underground hits.
All Scan 7 tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Residents 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ludus record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Graham Central Station,
Roy Ayers,
the Normal,
Quantec,
The Monks,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Pharoah Sanders,
Byron Stingily,
Letta Mbulu,
Royal Trux,
Khruangbin,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Velvet Underground,
Bobby Sherman,
The Vogues,
Terrestrial Tones,
Alton Ellis,
ABC,
Yazoo,
Slick Rick,
Boogie Down Productions,
Drive Like Jehu,
Spandau Ballet,
Lalo Schifrin,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Lightning Bolt,
Mary Jane Girls,
Heaven 17,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
R.M.O.,
Hasil Adkins,
The Grass Roots,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Terry Callier,
Gang Green,
Ornette Coleman,
Grauzone,
Crispy Ambulance,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Knickerbockers,
Sight & Sound,
Bizarre Inc.,
Liliput,
Glenn Branca,
Lucky Dragons,
Lakeside,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Matthew Bourne,
Crash Course in Science,
Susan Cadogan,
Pussy Galore,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
John Lydon,
Au Pairs,
June Days,
H. Thieme,
Rekid,
Icehouse,
Marmalade, Marmalade, Marmalade, Marmalade.
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.