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 Tunisia and from Copenhagen.
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 1963 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Glasgow.
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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Modern Lovers to the punk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Anakelly. All the underground hits.
All Howard Jones tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Con Funk Shun record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Mantronix record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Graham Central Station,
Sarah Menescal,
Public Image Ltd.,
Eric Dolphy,
Hot Snakes,
Negative Approach,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Prince Buster,
Youth Brigade,
The Real Kids,
Talk Talk,
Pagans,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Jawbox,
Siglo XX,
Subhumans,
Henry Cow,
Terry Callier,
Icehouse,
Ralphi Rosario,
Soul II Soul,
Mad Mike,
Make Up,
R.M.O.,
The Smiths,
Todd Rundgren,
The Techniques,
the Germs,
Marmalade,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Associates,
Gil Scott Heron,
Traffic Nightmare,
Kenny Larkin,
Chris & Cosey,
Mars,
The Slackers,
Minutemen,
Scott Walker,
The Beau Brummels,
The Neon Judgement,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Young Marble Giants,
Index,
Freddie Wadling,
Model 500,
Royal Trux,
Boredoms,
Gerry Rafferty,
Big Daddy Kane,
Lou Reed,
X-Ray Spex,
Fad Gadget,
Dorothy Ashby,
Crime,
Delta 5,
Q65,
Minor Threat,
The Gladiators,
Country Teasers,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway, Donny Hathaway.
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.