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 Eritrea and from Milan.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Pet Shop Boys to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Skatalites. All the underground hits.
All Gregory Isaacs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Angels of Light & Akron/Family record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ultramagnetic MC's record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Dorothy Ashby,
Subhumans,
The Cramps,
Animal Collective,
Marc Almond,
Charles Mingus,
Gang Gang Dance,
Japan,
Kas Product,
Cameo,
The Skatalites,
Pagans,
The Happenings,
Throbbing Gristle,
Pharoah Sanders,
Brand Nubian,
The Star Department,
The Gories,
Pulsallama,
Morten Harket,
Nils Olav,
Jerry's Kids,
Adolescents,
Suicide,
David Axelrod,
Urselle,
Television Personalities,
The Martian,
Boogie Down Productions,
the Association,
The Buckinghams,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Gang of Four,
Organ,
June of 44,
The Shadows of Knight,
Nas,
Oneida,
Minutemen,
JFA,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Leonard Cohen,
X-102,
Flamin' Groovies,
Tears for Fears,
Minny Pops,
EPMD,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Rapeman,
Soul II Soul,
Khruangbin,
Althea and Donna,
Sexual Harrassment,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Dave Gahan,
The Pretty Things,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
The Trojans,
Gichy Dan,
Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside, Lakeside.
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.