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 San Marino and from Lille.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Bowie show in Bromley.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Mr. Review to the disco kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Glenn Branca. All the underground hits.
All Letta Mbulu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bang On A Can 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 '70s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Swell Maps record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Alison Limerick,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
E-Dancer,
Banda Bassotti,
In Retrospect,
The Real Kids,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
The Human League,
Bizarre Inc.,
Byron Stingily,
Icehouse,
Stereo Dub,
the Sonics,
The Knickerbockers,
The Flesh Eaters,
Avey Tare,
Country Joe & The Fish,
The Smiths,
Traffic Nightmare,
B.T. Express,
The Monochrome Set,
Janne Schatter,
The Gories,
Television,
Das Ding,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Rosa Yemen,
Grauzone,
Visage,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Chrome,
Shoche,
Tears for Fears,
The Birthday Party,
Glambeats Corp.,
The United States of America,
Q and Not U,
Bobby Sherman,
Cluster,
Cheater Slicks,
Motorama,
Man Eating Sloth,
Swans,
Eric B and Rakim,
Reagan Youth,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Gun Club,
Judy Mowatt,
X-102,
The Mojo Men,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Sex Pistols,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Unwound,
Siglo XX,
The Kinks,
Fela Kuti,
Scientists,
Blake Baxter,
Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül.
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.