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 Argentina and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1962 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Neil Young to the grunge kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Robert Wyatt. All the underground hits.
All Joy Division tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Whodini record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Qualms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
the Soft Cell,
Amazonics,
Delta 5,
Khruangbin,
Godley & Creme,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Kerri Chandler,
Kevin Saunderson,
the Human League,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
The Detroit Cobras,
Drexciya,
Roxette,
Sam Rivers,
Hoover,
The Move,
Q and Not U,
London Community Gospel Choir,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Von Mondo,
Minor Threat,
Aloha Tigers,
Jeru the Damaja,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Agent Orange,
Sun Ra,
The Monochrome Set,
These Immortal Souls,
The Slackers,
Camouflage,
Cal Tjader,
The Cramps,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
The Angels of Light,
The Happenings,
Roger Hodgson,
Q65,
Crispian St. Peters,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Franke,
The Fuzztones,
Hasil Adkins,
Pierre Henry,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Howard Jones,
Faust,
Fela Kuti,
Lightning Bolt,
Sun City Girls,
Crime,
Pagans,
Ten City,
Ponytail,
Isaac Hayes,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Lou Christie,
The Offenders,
Piero Umiliani, Piero Umiliani, Piero Umiliani, Piero Umiliani.
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.