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 Solomon Islands and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1960 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Bremen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Shuggie Otis to the funk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Lou Christie. All the underground hits.
All Amon Düül II tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Graham Central Station 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sight & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
Gang Gang Dance,
Radio Birdman,
Eli Mardock,
The Moody Blues,
Von Mondo,
Tommy Roe,
Kenny Larkin,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Maurizio,
Television Personalities,
PIL,
the Bar-Kays,
The Litter,
Wire,
Fela Kuti,
The Real Kids,
Anthony Braxton,
The Doobie Brothers,
Severed Heads,
Maleditus Sound,
Cymande,
Gang Starr,
The Slackers,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Dave Gahan,
Jacques Brel,
Sixth Finger,
Roxette,
Harpers Bizarre,
It's A Beautiful Day,
The Pop Group,
Flamin' Groovies,
L. Decosne,
Pussy Galore,
Hoover,
Brothers Johnson,
Schoolly D,
Simply Red,
Man Parrish,
Spandau Ballet,
Franke,
Radiopuhelimet,
Icehouse,
Brass Construction,
Charles Mingus,
Intrusion,
Stockholm Monsters,
China Crisis,
Hashim,
Alison Limerick,
The Fugs,
The Smoke,
Bill Wells,
Jesper Dahlback,
The Sound,
Fatback Band,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Piero Umiliani,
Avey Tare,
Soulsonic Force,
Man Eating Sloth, Man Eating Sloth, Man Eating Sloth, Man Eating Sloth.
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.