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 St Kitts & Nevis and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Buzzcocks show in Bolton.
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 Shanghai and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Fall to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Prince Buster. All the underground hits.
All Sun City Girls tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Alton Ellis record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 clarinet and a güiro 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 güiro and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Drexciya,
Bob Dylan,
One Last Wish,
The Motions,
Darondo,
Barrington Levy,
Parry Music,
The Red Krayola,
Throbbing Gristle,
the Fania All-Stars,
Little Man,
The Techniques,
The Mojo Men,
Marcia Griffiths,
Guru Guru,
Joe Smooth,
Fat Boys,
Main Source,
Eric Copeland,
The Music Machine,
David McCallum,
Q65,
Henry Cow,
Harpers Bizarre,
Altered Images,
Tom Boy,
Terrestrial Tones,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Pantytec,
The Slits,
Oblivians,
Tres Demented,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
Don Cherry,
Thompson Twins,
The J.B.'s,
Adolescents,
Drive Like Jehu,
Pagans,
T.S.O.L.,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
L. Decosne,
Mars,
Livin' Joy,
Visage,
Maleditus Sound,
Zapp,
The Index,
China Crisis,
Con Funk Shun,
Television Personalities,
Crooked Eye,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Tim Buckley,
Gregory Isaacs,
Avey Tare,
Inner City,
Glambeats Corp.,
Audionom,
Ken Boothe,
Letta Mbulu, Letta Mbulu, Letta Mbulu, Letta Mbulu.
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.