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 Austria and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 mellotron 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 Interpol to the electroclash 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 James Chance & The Contortions. All the underground hits.
All Bang on a Can All-Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Colin Newman 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a U.S. Maple record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Wake,
Mandrill,
Soft Machine,
Rakim,
Kayak,
Patti Smith,
Donald Byrd,
Bizarre Inc.,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Iggy Pop,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Mary Jane Girls,
Public Image Ltd.,
The Moody Blues,
David Axelrod,
Faraquet,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Mo-Dettes,
Freddie Wadling,
Young Marble Giants,
D'Angelo,
Lebanon Hanover,
Guru Guru,
The Standells,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Star Department,
10cc,
Harpers Bizarre,
Barbara Tucker,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Lightning Bolt,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Sound Behaviour,
Black Flag,
Scratch Acid,
Tres Demented,
Thompson Twins,
Crispian St. Peters,
Royal Trux,
Juan Atkins,
Scion,
Rhythm & Sound,
Pylon,
Excepter,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Lou Reed,
Marmalade,
Ice-T,
Soul Sonic Force,
Thee Headcoats,
La Düsseldorf,
Flash Fearless,
Archie Shepp,
Glambeats Corp.,
Theoretical Girls,
ABBA,
Con Funk Shun,
Ossler,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Dirtbombs,
Kas Product,
Flipper,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Dave Clark Five, The Dave Clark Five, The Dave Clark Five, The Dave Clark Five.
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.