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 Spain and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1967 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Dorothy Ashby to the techno 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 Sister Nancy. All the underground hits.
All Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rotary Connection record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Swans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Roy Ayers,
Arcadia,
Cal Tjader,
Amazonics,
Flamin' Groovies,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Lungfish,
Eyeless In Gaza,
These Immortal Souls,
Peter and Kerry,
Prince Buster,
Crime,
Erasure,
Icehouse,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Desert Stars,
Drexciya,
cv313,
Warren Ellis,
Robert Wyatt,
The Flesh Eaters,
Agitation Free,
Oblivians,
Joyce Sims,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Avey Tare,
FM Einheit,
OOIOO,
Frankie Knuckles,
Rekid,
Mo-Dettes,
Gang of Four,
Bluetip,
The Detroit Cobras,
Smog,
Eden Ahbez,
Johnny Osbourne,
Gerry Rafferty,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Spoonie Gee,
Eli Mardock,
Lou Christie,
The Names,
The Standells,
Country Joe & The Fish,
David McCallum,
Cluster,
Lyres,
Heaven 17,
Aaron Thompson,
Pussy Galore,
Tubeway Army,
Newcleus,
ABBA,
AZ,
Matthew Bourne,
Chris Corsano,
Morten Harket,
Thompson Twins,
The Gap Band,
Mad Mike,
Jawbox, Jawbox, Jawbox, Jawbox.
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.