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 Turkmenistan and from Taipei.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Bowie show in Bromley.
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 1966 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Slackers to the crunk 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 Quando Quango. All the underground hits.
All The Music Machine tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Moody Blues 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a DJ Style record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
the Association,
Reuben Wilson,
Chrome,
Howard Jones,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Gories,
Agent Orange,
Marc Almond,
Spoonie Gee,
Scion,
Johnny Osbourne,
Jawbox,
Nas,
Agitation Free,
Sound Behaviour,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
The Kinks,
Lightning Bolt,
Jeru the Damaja,
Frankie Knuckles,
Slave,
Joy Division,
Gang Starr,
Bang On A Can,
Mandrill,
Tres Demented,
Sarah Menescal,
Ossler,
Bad Manners,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Smog,
Fifty Foot Hose,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Altered Images,
Idris Muhammad,
Todd Terry,
Amon Düül II,
L. Decosne,
EPMD,
Godley & Creme,
James White and The Blacks,
Deakin,
Vainqueur,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
the Fania All-Stars,
Icehouse,
Isaac Hayes,
The Slits,
Minor Threat,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Man Eating Sloth,
Henry Cow,
Malaria!,
The Birthday Party,
Duran Duran,
Robert Wyatt, Robert Wyatt, Robert Wyatt, Robert Wyatt.
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.