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 Afghanistan and from Beijing.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Shanghai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1983 at the first Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Negative Approach to the grunge kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Strawberry Alarm Clock. All the underground hits.
All Arthur Verocai tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every the Human League record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 chamberlin and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Negative Approach record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Music Machine,
Pussy Galore,
Babytalk,
A Certain Ratio,
Prince Buster,
Beasts of Bourbon,
The Fire Engines,
Duran Duran,
Johnny Clarke,
Masters at Work,
The Golliwogs,
The J.B.'s,
Funky Four + One,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
D'Angelo,
Freddie Wadling,
the Human League,
The Real Kids,
The Wake,
Infiniti,
Clear Light,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
The Slackers,
Skaos,
Procol Harum,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Interpol,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Oneida,
Shuggie Otis,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Cameo,
Pulsallama,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
the Fania All-Stars,
DJ Style,
Marmalade,
Fluxion,
Connie Case,
David Bowie,
ABC,
Fat Boys,
The Barracudas,
Glenn Branca,
Rhythm & Sound,
Eli Mardock,
Anakelly,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Mojo Men,
Eric B and Rakim,
Fela Kuti,
X-Ray Spex,
The Selecter,
Camouflage,
Tears for Fears,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Main Source,
Can,
The Divine Comedy,
Q and Not U,
Spoonie Gee, Spoonie Gee, Spoonie Gee, Spoonie Gee.
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.