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 Mexico and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Josef K show in Edinburgh.
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 1961 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Yaz to the punk 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 UT. All the underground hits.
All Boz Scaggs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Scion record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a synthesizer 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 spring reverb and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Joensuu 1685,
The Angels of Light,
LL Cool J,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Bluetip,
The Move,
Susan Cadogan,
the Germs,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Liliput,
Grey Daturas,
Frankie Knuckles,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Agitation Free,
John Coltrane,
kango's stein massive,
Vladislav Delay,
Basic Channel,
Dorothy Ashby,
The Selecter,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Das Ding,
Minnie Riperton,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
The Misunderstood,
Rod Modell,
Idris Muhammad,
Sandy B,
Jesper Dahlback,
Thee Headcoats,
Siglo XX,
Sonny Sharrock,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Big Daddy Kane,
Minor Threat,
Mandrill,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Al Stewart,
Television Personalities,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Yaz,
Funkadelic,
The Smiths,
June Days,
The Motions,
Tom Boy,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
DJ Sneak,
Zapp,
Freddie Wadling,
Shoche,
Young Marble Giants,
Pole,
Jacques Brel,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
CMW,
The Grass Roots,
Moebius,
The Fugs,
Drexciya,
Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth.
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.