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 Cuba and from Paris.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Negative Approach to the techno kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Brick. All the underground hits.
All Mandrill tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gil Scott Heron 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Altered Images record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
CMW,
Scan 7,
Absolute Body Control,
Average White Band,
Newcleus,
Rhythm & Sound,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Mr. Review,
This Heat,
Brand Nubian,
Dave Gahan,
Tom Boy,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Last Poets,
Electric Prunes,
A Flock of Seagulls,
The Dirtbombs,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Infiniti,
The Birthday Party,
Soft Machine,
Jeff Mills,
Rosa Yemen,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Fuzztones,
Boogie Down Productions,
The Fall,
Mo-Dettes,
Spoonie Gee,
UT,
Flamin' Groovies,
the Slits,
Skaos,
Skriet,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Nick Fraelich,
Juan Atkins,
Icehouse,
The Litter,
The Selecter,
Jawbox,
Moss Icon,
Dual Sessions,
Bush Tetras,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Trumans Water,
Gang Green,
Amon Düül,
Youth Brigade,
Fad Gadget,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
ABC,
The Music Machine,
Tommy Roe,
Rod Modell,
La Düsseldorf,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Drexciya, Drexciya, Drexciya, Drexciya.
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.