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 Nauru and from Bologna.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Cabaret Voltaire to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Rhythim Is Rhythim. All the underground hits.
All Ornette Coleman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Mummies record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Excepter record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Henry Cow,
Albert Ayler,
Ludus,
The Names,
Youth Brigade,
The Count Five,
The Wake,
Kerrie Biddell,
The Mummies,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Hashim,
Flash Fearless,
Curtis Mayfield,
Skarface,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Bang On A Can,
Andrew Hill,
The J.B.'s,
Tubeway Army,
Roy Ayers,
Ituana,
Avey Tare,
Aloha Tigers,
World's Most,
The New Christs,
Yusef Lateef,
Sonny Sharrock,
Flamin' Groovies,
Barrington Levy,
Pussy Galore,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Jandek,
The Misunderstood,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Fela Kuti,
Godley & Creme,
Hot Snakes,
The Blues Magoos,
The Pretty Things,
Anakelly,
Minnie Riperton,
The Fortunes,
the Swans,
Traffic Nightmare,
Spoonie Gee,
The Seeds,
The Offenders,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Lucky Dragons,
Carl Craig,
The Cowsills,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Clear Light,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Standells,
Eric Dolphy,
Simply Red,
Aswad,
John Cale, John Cale, John Cale, John Cale.
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.