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 Cuba and from Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in 1962.
I was there at the first Guess Who show in Winnipeg.
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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and Bremen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 David McCallum to the dance kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Erykah Badu. All the underground hits.
All Wolf Eyes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Tears for Fears 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Smoke record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joy Division,
The Slits,
Roger Hodgson,
H. Thieme,
Lightning Bolt,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Tres Demented,
Dead Boys,
Sister Nancy,
Alice Coltrane,
the Fania All-Stars,
Chris & Cosey,
Shuggie Otis,
Siglo XX,
These Immortal Souls,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Slick Rick,
Goldenarms,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Tears for Fears,
Don Cherry,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Magazine,
Aaron Thompson,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Con Funk Shun,
The Modern Lovers,
L. Decosne,
Reagan Youth,
Echospace,
Swans,
The Searchers,
Circle Jerks,
John Cale,
Animal Collective,
Wolf Eyes,
Mark Hollis,
Toni Rubio,
Rites of Spring,
Qualms,
Oneida,
The Dirtbombs,
Fatback Band,
Make Up,
Boogie Down Productions,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Oblivians,
Joe Finger,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Heaven 17,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Slackers,
Idris Muhammad,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Velvet Underground,
Subhumans,
Roxette,
Sight & Sound,
Magma,
Kevin Saunderson,
Beasts of Bourbon,
The Gladiators, The Gladiators, The Gladiators, The Gladiators.
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.