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 Guinea-Bissau and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1963 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
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 Essential Logic to the funk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Pagans. All the underground hits.
All Theoretical Girls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Warsaw record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a James Chance & The Contortions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Leaves,
The Cure,
The Moody Blues,
The Fortunes,
Icehouse,
Jimmy McGriff,
The Grass Roots,
JFA,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Mad Mike,
Eric Copeland,
The Victims,
Lalo Schifrin,
Glenn Branca,
Bobby Sherman,
Clear Light,
Mark Hollis,
Pussy Galore,
Arthur Verocai,
The Toasters,
Aaron Thompson,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
a-ha,
Harmonia,
Brothers Johnson,
Country Teasers,
Joensuu 1685,
the Germs,
Al Stewart,
Neil Young,
Can,
Niagra,
Nils Olav,
Big Daddy Kane,
Goldenarms,
Masters at Work,
James White and The Blacks,
T.S.O.L.,
Godley & Creme,
Charles Mingus,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Kaleidoscope,
Moby Grape,
Smog,
Soulsonic Force,
Erykah Badu,
Tubeway Army,
Fatback Band,
Schoolly D,
The Neon Judgement,
Von Mondo,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Mars,
Hot Snakes,
Howard Jones,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Rhythm & Sound,
David Bowie,
Malaria!,
Hasil Adkins,
The Knickerbockers,
Flipper,
Electric Prunes, Electric Prunes, Electric Prunes, Electric Prunes.
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.