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 Ukraine and from Mumbai.
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 1968 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Smog to the punk 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 Pantaleimon. All the underground hits.
All Brand Nubian tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Isaac Hayes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a James Chance & The Contortions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The J.B.'s,
One Last Wish,
The Misunderstood,
Main Source,
PIL,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Smoke,
Black Flag,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Anthony Braxton,
Kerri Chandler,
Cameo,
Bush Tetras,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Jacob Miller,
Sound Behaviour,
Moebius,
Morten Harket,
Eric Copeland,
The Walker Brothers,
Franke,
The American Breed,
Don Cherry,
Harmonia,
The Star Department,
Jimmy McGriff,
Heaven 17,
Sonic Youth,
Minor Threat,
Monks,
U.S. Maple,
Barclay James Harvest,
New Order,
The Electric Prunes,
Brass Construction,
Surgeon,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Leaves,
Wings,
Swans,
Arcadia,
The Sonics,
Excepter,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Neon Judgement,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Henry Cow,
Vladislav Delay,
Davy DMX,
Television Personalities,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
B.T. Express,
Royal Trux,
Grauzone,
A Certain Ratio,
Susan Cadogan,
the Slits,
Cybotron,
Lower 48,
the Bar-Kays,
Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan.
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.