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 Norway and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1964 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the organ 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 Qualms to the rap kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Second Layer. All the underground hits.
All The Human League tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Soulsonic Force record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 a marimba and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a John Cale record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Aloha Tigers,
Alison Limerick,
The Electric Prunes,
Gabor Szabo,
The Index,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Sound,
Lebanon Hanover,
Neil Young,
Blake Baxter,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Radiohead,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
F. McDonald,
Dorothy Ashby,
Reuben Wilson,
The Star Department,
Thompson Twins,
8 Eyed Spy,
Au Pairs,
Blossom Toes,
Black Moon,
Average White Band,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The United States of America,
Lou Reed,
Altered Images,
MDC,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Techniques,
T.S.O.L.,
Radiopuhelimet,
The Selecter,
The Motions,
The Litter,
Harry Pussy,
Donald Byrd,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Lou Christie,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Human League,
Rekid,
Panda Bear,
The Shadows of Knight,
Bob Dylan,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Scott Walker,
Goldenarms,
Jerry's Kids,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Delon & Dalcan,
Cheater Slicks,
LL Cool J,
The Saints,
Nico,
Mr. Review,
The Fugs,
Mantronix,
Bootsy Collins,
Todd Rundgren,
Susan Cadogan,
Sister Nancy, Sister Nancy, Sister Nancy, Sister Nancy.
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.