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 Kyrgyzstan and from Tehran.
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 1968 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Bremen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the organ 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 Popol Vuh to the grunge 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 Siglo XX. All the underground hits.
All Byron Stingily tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rhythim Is Rhythim record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Selecter record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Brass Construction,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Henry Cow,
Television Personalities,
Patti Smith,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
PIL,
The Moleskins,
Kevin Saunderson,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Aloha Tigers,
Ultravox,
Cybotron,
Jeff Lynne,
Animal Collective,
The J.B.'s,
Symarip,
Lalann,
Joe Finger,
Rites of Spring,
Neil Young,
Youth Brigade,
Whodini,
The Electric Prunes,
Radio Birdman,
Technova,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Eden Ahbez,
Matthew Bourne,
Glenn Branca,
Bizarre Inc.,
Masters at Work,
The Smoke,
Quadrant,
the Swans,
Janne Schatter,
Bob Dylan,
Gerry Rafferty,
Maleditus Sound,
Negative Approach,
The Doors,
The Zeros,
Matthew Halsall,
Joensuu 1685,
The Stooges,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Nation of Ulysses,
The Pretty Things,
Darondo,
Godley & Creme,
The Detroit Cobras,
Duran Duran,
Moebius,
Chris & Cosey,
Flamin' Groovies,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Andrew Hill,
Ossler,
A Certain Ratio,
Dead Boys,
Gang Gang Dance, Gang Gang Dance, Gang Gang Dance, Gang Gang Dance.
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.