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 Iraq and from Bologna.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Leonard Cohen to the rap kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Lou Reed & John Cale. All the underground hits.
All The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Pagans 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Monks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Pagans,
The Tremeloes,
Black Sheep,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Mr. Review,
Rites of Spring,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Quadrant,
Todd Terry,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
MDC,
Ronan,
Robert Görl,
Alton Ellis,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Alice Coltrane,
Grandmaster Flash,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
X-101,
Colin Newman,
Cymande,
Franke,
Panda Bear,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Pylon,
Procol Harum,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Rapeman,
Glenn Branca,
Gang Green,
Aural Exciters,
Hasil Adkins,
Gong,
John Cale,
Jeru the Damaja,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
LL Cool J,
Man Eating Sloth,
Blossom Toes,
The Toasters,
Public Image Ltd.,
Jandek,
The Buckinghams,
Isaac Hayes,
Von Mondo,
Marvin Gaye,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Joy Division,
The Residents,
Matthew Bourne,
Public Enemy,
Neil Young,
Reuben Wilson,
Roxette,
Soul Sonic Force,
Bootsy Collins,
The Human League,
Marcia Griffiths, Marcia Griffiths, Marcia Griffiths, Marcia Griffiths.
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.