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 Mali and from Salvador.
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 1963 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Edmonton.
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 Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the linndrum sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 The Sisters of Mercy to the funk kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Simply Red. All the underground hits.
All Jandek tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amazonics record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 a 808 and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Swans record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
David Bowie,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Davy DMX,
Goldenarms,
Newcleus,
Rotary Connection,
Mad Mike,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
The Blackbyrds,
Ultra Naté,
the Human League,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Cal Tjader,
The Sound,
Grandmaster Flash,
Terrestrial Tones,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
The Sonics,
Sun City Girls,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Vainqueur,
Niagra,
Siglo XX,
Jeru the Damaja,
Rod Modell,
Ten City,
Ronan,
Radio Birdman,
Funky Four + One,
Hoover,
Magazine,
Gichy Dan,
The Leaves,
The Fire Engines,
Eve St. Jones,
Janne Schatter,
Rosa Yemen,
Letta Mbulu,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Chris & Cosey,
X-102,
Sandy B,
Drexciya,
Fugazi,
Jacques Brel,
Josef K,
The Fall,
Matthew Halsall,
Sällskapet,
Yellowson,
Eurythmics,
The Move,
The Doors,
Minutemen,
Cameo,
Brick,
Thompson Twins,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
These Immortal Souls,
Sugar Minott,
Radiopuhelimet,
Livin' Joy, Livin' Joy, Livin' Joy, Livin' Joy.
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.