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 Mali and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Warren Ellis to the rock 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 Brothers Johnson. All the underground hits.
All Marcia Griffiths tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Howard Jones record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The United States of America record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Neil Young,
Section 25,
Jeff Mills,
10cc,
John Lydon,
the Slits,
Thompson Twins,
The Kinks,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Marcia Griffiths,
R.M.O.,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Suicide,
Al Stewart,
Public Enemy,
The New Christs,
Gang Gang Dance,
Maurizio,
Lightning Bolt,
Banda Bassotti,
The Associates,
Tres Demented,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Soul II Soul,
PIL,
One Last Wish,
Siglo XX,
Jimmy McGriff,
Newcleus,
Barbara Tucker,
The Moleskins,
The Techniques,
Todd Terry,
Rotary Connection,
Sonic Youth,
Tomorrow,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Cal Tjader,
Tim Buckley,
Blake Baxter,
Unrelated Segments,
Colin Newman,
Von Mondo,
Black Pus,
The Smiths,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Amazonics,
Sarah Menescal,
Alton Ellis,
Talk Talk,
Mo-Dettes,
Kevin Saunderson,
Mission of Burma,
Barry Ungar,
Slave,
Throbbing Gristle,
Lou Reed,
Deadbeat,
Los Fastidios,
Loose Ends,
Deepchord,
Prince Buster, Prince Buster, Prince Buster, Prince Buster.
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.