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 Milan.
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 1967 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 linndrum 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 Chris & Cosey to the funk 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 Gabor Szabo. All the underground hits.
All Sunsets and Hearts tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 a spring reverb and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Soft Cell record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Peter & Gordon,
Newcleus,
10cc,
Groovy Waters,
Black Sheep,
John Lydon,
Agent Orange,
Ossler,
Thompson Twins,
Sister Nancy,
Amazonics,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Fortunes,
E-Dancer,
These Immortal Souls,
Man Eating Sloth,
Young Marble Giants,
The Associates,
Albert Ayler,
The Fall,
Cal Tjader,
Clear Light,
Cameo,
Minny Pops,
Minor Threat,
The Detroit Cobras,
Leonard Cohen,
Mad Mike,
Joe Finger,
Livin' Joy,
Boogie Down Productions,
Smog,
Robert Görl,
Urselle,
Scratch Acid,
Radiohead,
New Age Steppers,
Eve St. Jones,
Black Flag,
the Soft Cell,
Eden Ahbez,
The Barracudas,
Jerry's Kids,
Todd Rundgren,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Gang Starr,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Five Americans,
Hot Snakes,
Tres Demented,
The Knickerbockers,
Television Personalities,
Lebanon Hanover,
Franke,
John Coltrane,
The Modern Lovers,
X-101,
Blossom Toes,
Con Funk Shun,
Bill Near, Bill Near, Bill Near, Bill Near.
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.