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 Turkmenistan and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1960 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Ash Ra Tempel to the funk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Television Personalities. All the underground hits.
All Nirvana tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Beau Brummels 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sun Ra Arkestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Erykah Badu,
Darondo,
Niagra,
June Days,
Lalann,
Fatback Band,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Sight & Sound,
Stiv Bators,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Gerry Rafferty,
Lebanon Hanover,
Lungfish,
Can,
Surgeon,
Jerry Gold Smith,
The Fugs,
Joy Division,
Scientists,
Fela Kuti,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Funky Four + One,
Black Flag,
Glenn Branca,
48th St. Collective,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Rites of Spring,
Ossler,
Flash Fearless,
Franke,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
10cc,
Television Personalities,
Howard Jones,
Hashim,
Gang Green,
The United States of America,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
New York Dolls,
The New Christs,
Thee Headcoats,
David Axelrod,
Bobby Sherman,
Terry Callier,
The Gap Band,
Donny Hathaway,
F. McDonald,
Underground Resistance,
X-Ray Spex,
Marmalade,
Symarip,
Maleditus Sound,
Quantec,
Reagan Youth,
Juan Atkins,
the Normal,
The Dead C,
Pet Shop Boys,
Bootsy Collins,
The Index,
Minnie Riperton,
Black Pus, Black Pus, Black Pus, Black Pus.
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.