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 Azerbaijan and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1965 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 UT to the funk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Bootsy's Rubber Band. All the underground hits.
All The Evens tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Heavy D & The Boyz record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 snare and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang On A Can record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Fela Kuti,
Peter & Gordon,
Morten Harket,
Zapp,
Bluetip,
Gregory Isaacs,
Qualms,
Fluxion,
Pylon,
Pantaleimon,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
JFA,
Marmalade,
Lebanon Hanover,
Boredoms,
Roxy Music,
John Cale,
R.M.O.,
Avey Tare,
Parry Music,
Fat Boys,
Steve Hackett,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Section 25,
Ralphi Rosario,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Chrome,
the Association,
Ornette Coleman,
Barry Ungar,
Kool Moe Dee,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Jandek,
Dual Sessions,
Sly & The Family Stone,
David Bowie,
The Mojo Men,
The Cure,
Man Parrish,
MC5,
June Days,
Eric B and Rakim,
Camouflage,
Cal Tjader,
Deepchord,
The United States of America,
Kerrie Biddell,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Funky Four + One,
A Flock of Seagulls,
China Crisis,
Boz Scaggs,
Urselle,
Ohio Players,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Scrapy,
Icehouse,
Moss Icon, Moss Icon, Moss Icon, Moss Icon.
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.