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 Uganda and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the guitar 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 Dennis Brown to the dance kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 June of 44. All the underground hits.
All Robert Wyatt tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Oppenheimer Analysis record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Johnny Clarke record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Shuggie Otis,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Arab on Radar,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Freddie Wadling,
The Raincoats,
Ornette Coleman,
Rapeman,
The Smiths,
Siglo XX,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Rod Modell,
the Association,
Fatback Band,
Brand Nubian,
Flash Fearless,
Sandy B,
Chris & Cosey,
Jerry's Kids,
Con Funk Shun,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Todd Rundgren,
Johnny Clarke,
Aswad,
Gil Scott Heron,
Lalo Schifrin,
World's Most,
Yaz,
Electric Prunes,
ABBA,
Gerry Rafferty,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Y Pants,
Bizarre Inc.,
Lakeside,
John Holt,
Scrapy,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Residents,
Flipper,
Little Man,
Newcleus,
Minor Threat,
Bang On A Can,
Danielle Patucci,
Gang Gang Dance,
Man Eating Sloth,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Erasure,
Michelle Simonal,
Scan 7,
The Evens,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
The Gap Band,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
L. Decosne,
Black Moon,
F. McDonald,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Avey Tare,
Parry Music,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Strawberry Alarm Clock, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Strawberry Alarm Clock.
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.