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 Antigua and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1963 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Los Fastidios to the rock 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 Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson. All the underground hits.
All Radio Birdman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Michelle Simonal 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ken Boothe record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
E-Dancer,
The Fugs,
The Count Five,
Lucky Dragons,
Vladislav Delay,
Shuggie Otis,
Black Sheep,
Tomorrow,
David Axelrod,
A Certain Ratio,
Sun Ra,
Harmonia,
Joe Finger,
The Shadows of Knight,
Faraquet,
Von Mondo,
Niagra,
Deepchord,
The Misunderstood,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Victims,
Mars,
Amazonics,
8 Eyed Spy,
Public Enemy,
The Leaves,
Anthony Braxton,
Moebius,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Charles Mingus,
The Slits,
Jacob Miller,
The Moleskins,
The Divine Comedy,
Lightning Bolt,
Tommy Roe,
The Detroit Cobras,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Animal Collective,
Anakelly,
the Human League,
Barbara Tucker,
Connie Case,
Bluetip,
Pagans,
Rufus Thomas,
The Saints,
Junior Murvin,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Dave Gahan,
Unwound,
Peter & Gordon,
Guru Guru,
Reuben Wilson,
Fugazi,
Idris Muhammad,
Tears for Fears,
Bronski Beat,
Black Bananas,
Skaos,
Japan,
Blancmange,
Sister Nancy, Sister Nancy, Sister Nancy, Sister Nancy.
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.