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 Vanuatu and from London.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Soft Boys show in Cambridge.
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 Glasgow and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the theremin 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 Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 to the techno 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 Accadde A. All the underground hits.
All The J.B.'s tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amon Düül II record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s 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 Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Scan 7,
Skriet,
Warren Ellis,
Mission of Burma,
Throbbing Gristle,
Dark Day,
Cameo,
Radio Birdman,
Lower 48,
The Sonics,
The Star Department,
the Normal,
This Heat,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Fatback Band,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Spandau Ballet,
Wasted Youth,
Young Marble Giants,
The Young Rascals,
Delta 5,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Blake Baxter,
Simply Red,
Sandy B,
the Swans,
cv313,
Susan Cadogan,
Desert Stars,
Suburban Knight,
Banda Bassotti,
Dennis Brown,
Black Pus,
Maleditus Sound,
Technova,
Mantronix,
Chris & Cosey,
Prince Buster,
Grandmaster Flash,
Nils Olav,
Popol Vuh,
Lou Reed,
Ultravox,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Adolescents,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Fad Gadget,
Sugar Minott,
Junior Murvin,
The Velvet Underground,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Real Kids,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Livin' Joy,
Mo-Dettes,
The Smiths,
Marcia Griffiths, Marcia Griffiths, Marcia Griffiths, Marcia Griffiths.
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.