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 Micronesia and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Electric Light Orchestra to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 New Age Steppers. All the underground hits.
All Rhythim Is Rhythim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Tremeloes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ultra Naté record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Country Teasers,
Mr. Review,
Shuggie Otis,
The Dead C,
Iggy Pop,
Sarah Menescal,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Todd Terry,
Amon Düül,
Mars,
F. McDonald,
Cybotron,
Bang On A Can,
Oblivians,
Fluxion,
Delon & Dalcan,
The Pretty Things,
Barry Ungar,
The Birthday Party,
Deepchord,
The Names,
Funkadelic,
Harpers Bizarre,
Ornette Coleman,
Alice Coltrane,
Barrington Levy,
A Certain Ratio,
Sonic Youth,
The Evens,
Chrome,
Joe Smooth,
Zero Boys,
Sound Behaviour,
Cameo,
Grandmaster Flash,
Brand Nubian,
The Selecter,
Skarface,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Jacques Brel,
Brothers Johnson,
Animal Collective,
Donald Byrd,
Erykah Badu,
Royal Trux,
The Smiths,
Lindisfarne,
Mad Mike,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Henry Cow,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Doors,
The Offenders,
Cymande,
John Foxx,
Gerry Rafferty,
Yellowson,
Avey Tare,
The Five Americans,
Colin Newman, Colin Newman, Colin Newman, Colin Newman.
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.