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 Georgia and from Copenhagen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Bremen.
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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the 808 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 Albert Ayler to the techno kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Tears for Fears. All the underground hits.
All Drive Like Jehu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Crooked Eye 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a mellotron 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 güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Black Moon,
the Bar-Kays,
Chris & Cosey,
Josef K,
Sparks,
Subhumans,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Drexciya,
Piero Umiliani,
Aaron Thompson,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Jeff Lynne,
Laurel Aitken,
Supertramp,
The Pop Group,
Joyce Sims,
Scott Walker,
Lakeside,
Soft Machine,
Cameo,
The Toasters,
The Dave Clark Five,
The Litter,
James White and The Blacks,
Bobby Byrd,
Sällskapet,
Nas,
June of 44,
John Holt,
The Fire Engines,
Jawbox,
Crooked Eye,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Soul Sonic Force,
Symarip,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Janne Schatter,
Jerry's Kids,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Mandrill,
Spoonie Gee,
Bad Manners,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Negative Approach,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
John Coltrane,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Warsaw,
Adolescents,
Suicide,
Radiohead,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Tomorrow,
Zero Boys,
The Slits,
Rotary Connection,
Reagan Youth,
Shuggie Otis,
Johnny Clarke,
Technova,
The Barracudas,
The Selecter,
Mars, Mars, Mars, Mars.
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.