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 Romania and from Taipei.
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 1965 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 marimba 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 Soft Cell to the grunge 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 The Fire Engines. All the underground hits.
All Saccharine Trust tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Public Enemy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nils Olav record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Swell Maps,
The Standells,
Marc Almond,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
The Young Rascals,
The United States of America,
Spandau Ballet,
ABC,
Ralphi Rosario,
Wire,
Soulsonic Force,
Iggy Pop,
Colin Newman,
Patti Smith,
Livin' Joy,
Bush Tetras,
The Blues Magoos,
Buzzcocks,
Saccharine Trust,
The Black Dice,
The Monks,
The Victims,
Stockholm Monsters,
The Birthday Party,
The Slits,
UT,
Quando Quango,
Ronnie Foster,
The Kinks,
Tears for Fears,
Joe Finger,
the Fania All-Stars,
Massinfluence,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Chrome,
Quadrant,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Erykah Badu,
Big Daddy Kane,
Organ,
Max Romeo,
Kurtis Blow,
Jacob Miller,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Albert Ayler,
Public Image Ltd.,
Ultra Naté,
OOIOO,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Minnie Riperton,
Negative Approach,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Kaleidoscope,
The Leaves,
Shuggie Otis,
Clear Light,
Peter and Kerry,
Black Pus,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
David McCallum, David McCallum, David McCallum, David McCallum.
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.