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 Malawi and from Houston.
But I was there.
I was there in 1973.
I was there at the first Television show in New York.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Drive Like Jehu to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Colin Newman. All the underground hits.
All Mantronix tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Godley & Creme record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno 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 a mellotron and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Young Rascals record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cabaret Voltaire,
the Germs,
Dead Boys,
The Alarm Clocks,
U.S. Maple,
Jeff Mills,
Darondo,
Yellowson,
Yusef Lateef,
Tommy Roe,
Niagra,
Pagans,
Television Personalities,
New Order,
The Smiths,
Bronski Beat,
The Velvet Underground,
Kaleidoscope,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Cecil Taylor,
Mark Hollis,
Groovy Waters,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Make Up,
The Busters,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Saints,
Amazonics,
Fort Wilson Riot,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
EPMD,
Public Image Ltd.,
Q and Not U,
New Age Steppers,
These Immortal Souls,
Boz Scaggs,
Eve St. Jones,
Angry Samoans,
Eurythmics,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
X-Ray Spex,
Juan Atkins,
Hashim,
LL Cool J,
Jandek,
The Fugs,
F. McDonald,
Joy Division,
Motorama,
Smog,
Electric Prunes,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Walker Brothers,
Joensuu 1685,
Minny Pops,
DJ Sneak,
Vainqueur,
The Misunderstood,
Ken Boothe,
Young Marble Giants,
the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics, the Sonics.
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.