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 Nigeria and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1969 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 arpeggiator 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 LL Cool J to the electroclash 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 MDC. All the underground hits.
All Gabor Szabo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sex Pistols 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Laurel Aitken record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Adolescents,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Fluxion,
Bill Near,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Sonny Sharrock,
PIL,
The Doors,
Pere Ubu,
Eric B and Rakim,
Rufus Thomas,
Moebius,
Drexciya,
Grey Daturas,
Joensuu 1685,
Prince Buster,
Al Stewart,
Danielle Patucci,
Reuben Wilson,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Neu!,
Roy Ayers,
Gichy Dan,
Youth Brigade,
Mo-Dettes,
Bootsy Collins,
Babytalk,
Ossler,
The Cowsills,
Flamin' Groovies,
Icehouse,
David Bowie,
Delon & Dalcan,
Kenny Larkin,
Glenn Branca,
Max Romeo,
Sarah Menescal,
Connie Case,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Lou Reed,
Boz Scaggs,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Rotary Connection,
Lebanon Hanover,
Bill Wells,
Jeff Lynne,
Grauzone,
Crime,
Crash Course in Science,
The Fire Engines,
X-Ray Spex,
Donald Byrd,
The Happenings,
Wolf Eyes,
The Trojans,
Anakelly,
Cameo,
the Soft Cell,
Flash Fearless,
Franke,
Robert Görl,
Swans, Swans, Swans, Swans.
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.