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 Nigeria and from Delhi.
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 1961 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 arpeggiator 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 Joe Smooth 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 Richard Hell and the Voidoids. All the underground hits.
All Zero Boys tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Cramps 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lebanon Hanover record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
June Days,
F. McDonald,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
David Bowie,
The Sonics,
Bobby Womack,
Goldenarms,
Metal Thangz,
Rod Modell,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Star Department,
The Seeds,
Gang Gang Dance,
Cheater Slicks,
Marine Girls,
Crispy Ambulance,
Gang Green,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Pantaleimon,
Josef K,
June of 44,
Black Sheep,
EPMD,
The Pretty Things,
Barry Ungar,
Sonic Youth,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Arcadia,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Lyres,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Ultimate Spinach,
Sonny Sharrock,
Panda Bear,
Porter Ricks,
Althea and Donna,
Joe Finger,
Jerry's Kids,
Hashim,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Cybotron,
The Gladiators,
Mad Mike,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Pylon,
The New Christs,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Reuben Wilson,
Patti Smith,
The Dirtbombs,
Rhythm & Sound,
Robert Hood,
Depeche Mode,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Arab on Radar,
Darondo,
Scientists,
Cal Tjader,
The Monks,
Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton, Anthony Braxton.
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.