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 Bangladesh and from Accra.
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 1961 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the guitar 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 Oneida to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Lower 48. All the underground hits.
All Suburban Knight tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jeff Lynne 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bizarre Inc. record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Red Krayola,
Bizarre Inc.,
Livin' Joy,
Joe Smooth,
Prince Buster,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Alphaville,
Public Image Ltd.,
Yusef Lateef,
KRS-One,
Colin Newman,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Minor Threat,
Robert Hood,
Malaria!,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Gap Band,
T.S.O.L.,
Essential Logic,
Flipper,
Groovy Waters,
Thompson Twins,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Harry Pussy,
Sparks,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Basic Channel,
The Standells,
The Busters,
Mad Mike,
Lower 48,
Shuggie Otis,
The Dave Clark Five,
Hot Snakes,
Darondo,
Jeff Lynne,
E-Dancer,
Zapp,
Television,
Jandek,
Pulsallama,
Graham Central Station,
Fatback Band,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Newcleus,
the Association,
Cameo,
Agent Orange,
8 Eyed Spy,
Angry Samoans,
Juan Atkins,
Wings,
The Electric Prunes,
Sister Nancy,
Roger Hodgson,
Todd Rundgren,
Neu!,
Yazoo,
Rotary Connection,
Absolute Body Control,
Flash Fearless, Flash Fearless, Flash Fearless, Flash Fearless.
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.