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 Palau and from Seoul.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1967 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the snare 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 Soul II Soul to the dance kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Fear. All the underground hits.
All The United States of America tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marcia Griffiths record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 a spring reverb and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Guru Guru,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Maleditus Sound,
Scion,
Tim Buckley,
Ornette Coleman,
Tears for Fears,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Soul Sonic Force,
Barbara Tucker,
Juan Atkins,
Das Ding,
Sister Nancy,
Roy Ayers,
Liliput,
Depeche Mode,
Rakim,
Boz Scaggs,
James White and The Blacks,
Outsiders,
The Fuzztones,
Aloha Tigers,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Can,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Golliwogs,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Archie Shepp,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Amon Düül II,
Deakin,
Black Pus,
Kurtis Blow,
Bobby Byrd,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Standells,
Swans,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Seeds,
June Days,
X-101,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Absolute Body Control,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Tom Boy,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Dead C,
Pylon,
Lou Reed,
Donald Byrd,
Aswad,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Birthday Party,
The Modern Lovers,
The Fall,
Michelle Simonal,
Eddi Front,
Alton Ellis,
Skriet,
PIL,
Wally Richardson,
Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke, Johnny Clarke.
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.