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 Sudan and from Lyon.
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 1961 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 The Martian to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 A Certain Ratio. All the underground hits.
All The Skatalites tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Slackers 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Camouflage record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Remains,
Michelle Simonal,
Anthony Braxton,
Tres Demented,
a-ha,
Quantec,
Albert Ayler,
Swell Maps,
Outsiders,
Leonard Cohen,
Gang of Four,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Electric Prunes,
Flamin' Groovies,
Heaven 17,
Das Ding,
Kenny Larkin,
Moebius,
The Dead C,
Crispian St. Peters,
Can,
Robert Görl,
KRS-One,
China Crisis,
The Sonics,
Johnny Osbourne,
Niagra,
Mad Mike,
Radio Birdman,
Metal Thangz,
The Gories,
Morten Harket,
Livin' Joy,
Intrusion,
Gang Starr,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Moss Icon,
Laurel Aitken,
Index,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Au Pairs,
Los Fastidios,
Scrapy,
Boz Scaggs,
Reuben Wilson,
Delon & Dalcan,
Dark Day,
Dennis Brown,
The Techniques,
Accadde A,
Fluxion,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Spandau Ballet,
Zero Boys,
Alton Ellis,
Interpol,
DNA,
T. Rex,
Television,
ABC,
Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru.
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.