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 Greece and from Philadelphia.
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 1967 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Rotary Connection to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Severed Heads. All the underground hits.
All Los Fastidios tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythm & Sound 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pantaleimon record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Sisters of Mercy,
Ronan,
Archie Shepp,
Marine Girls,
Nik Kershaw,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Black Pus,
Al Stewart,
Sandy B,
Trumans Water,
Mark Hollis,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Ultravox,
Slick Rick,
Average White Band,
Animal Collective,
Spoonie Gee,
Glenn Branca,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Avey Tare,
John Coltrane,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Peter and Kerry,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Metal Thangz,
Ralphi Rosario,
Schoolly D,
EPMD,
Wolf Eyes,
Echospace,
Warren Ellis,
Crooked Eye,
The Remains,
Graham Central Station,
The Fuzztones,
Cecil Taylor,
The Blackbyrds,
Index,
Barry Ungar,
Colin Newman,
Joey Negro,
Minnie Riperton,
Quantec,
Ludus,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Radiopuhelimet,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Mantronix,
Marmalade,
La Düsseldorf,
Derrick Morgan,
Sparks,
Jerry Gold Smith,
In Retrospect,
Pantytec,
Stetsasonic,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Black Bananas,
Oneida,
Henry Cow, Henry Cow, Henry Cow, Henry Cow.
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.