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 Kenya and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Halifax 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 rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Metal Thangz to the rap 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 Sun City Girls. All the underground hits.
All Intrusion tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rod Modell record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 organ and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Standells,
The Durutti Column,
Popol Vuh,
Josef K,
The Fortunes,
In Retrospect,
Byron Stingily,
Wire,
Pere Ubu,
Royal Trux,
Organ,
the Human League,
Radio Birdman,
T. Rex,
Roy Ayers,
Agitation Free,
DJ Sneak,
Al Stewart,
Joy Division,
A Certain Ratio,
Motorama,
Roxy Music,
Delon & Dalcan,
Nick Fraelich,
Lightning Bolt,
The Associates,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Skriet,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Minnie Riperton,
Spoonie Gee,
The Cramps,
Zero Boys,
the Soft Cell,
The Offenders,
Grandmaster Flash,
Khruangbin,
Japan,
Rakim,
Chrome,
Wally Richardson,
Yusef Lateef,
Patti Smith,
Roxette,
Tommy Roe,
Stetsasonic,
Unrelated Segments,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Pierre Henry,
The Barracudas,
Newcleus,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Hardrive,
Archie Shepp,
The Remains,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Youth Brigade,
The Star Department,
June of 44,
Jawbox, Jawbox, Jawbox, Jawbox.
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.