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 Nepal and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the sitar 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 Nation of Ulysses to the techno kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Arab on Radar. All the underground hits.
All The Mojo Men tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Dead Boys record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 synthesizer and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Kaleidoscope record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bill Wells,
Lakeside,
Chris Corsano,
Moby Grape,
Warsaw,
Moss Icon,
E-Dancer,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The United States of America,
Siglo XX,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Von Mondo,
Essential Logic,
Intrusion,
The Trojans,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Searchers,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Flesh Eaters,
Steve Hackett,
Japan,
Lalo Schifrin,
Barbara Tucker,
Bobby Sherman,
The Fire Engines,
Circle Jerks,
Junior Murvin,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Dual Sessions,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Chris & Cosey,
The Moody Blues,
Ronan,
Maleditus Sound,
Gil Scott Heron,
Camberwell Now,
Grandmaster Flash,
Man Eating Sloth,
Minutemen,
Tropical Tobacco,
Barry Ungar,
Boredoms,
Bauhaus,
Ken Boothe,
Tomorrow,
Black Sheep,
Pierre Henry,
Agent Orange,
Monks,
Marvin Gaye,
Reagan Youth,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Boogie Down Productions,
Amon Düül II,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Cure,
Delta 5,
Monolake,
Interpol, Interpol, Interpol, Interpol.
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.