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 Turkmenistan and from Manila.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1962 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Mantronix to the dance 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 Deakin. All the underground hits.
All Nils Olav tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fatback Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sarah Menescal record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
PIL,
The Index,
Cluster,
Kerrie Biddell,
Ultimate Spinach,
R.M.O.,
a-ha,
Spandau Ballet,
Alphaville,
A Certain Ratio,
The Cure,
Intrusion,
Glenn Branca,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Jawbox,
The Dirtbombs,
Prince Buster,
Fatback Band,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
John Lydon,
Wolf Eyes,
Fluxion,
MDC,
Fugazi,
The Motions,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Procol Harum,
The Real Kids,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
DJ Style,
Massinfluence,
Jeff Lynne,
The Mojo Men,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Joe Finger,
Roxette,
Todd Rundgren,
the Germs,
The Names,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Visage,
Kenny Larkin,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
The Searchers,
Surgeon,
Camberwell Now,
Grauzone,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Negative Approach,
These Immortal Souls,
A Flock of Seagulls,
The Slits,
Eden Ahbez,
The Knickerbockers,
Mr. Review,
Oblivians,
ABBA,
The Birthday Party,
Faust, Faust, Faust, Faust.
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.