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 Maldives and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Beijing.
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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 Bad Manners to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Peter & Gordon. All the underground hits.
All Black Pus tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Television Personalities 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Louis and Bebe Barron record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eden Ahbez,
DJ Style,
Davy DMX,
Unwound,
Crispian St. Peters,
Eddi Front,
Alice Coltrane,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Supertramp,
Fluxion,
Mr. Review,
Ornette Coleman,
Panda Bear,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
The J.B.'s,
The Moody Blues,
Slick Rick,
Depeche Mode,
Charles Mingus,
The Detroit Cobras,
Tres Demented,
Michelle Simonal,
the Normal,
the Swans,
Nick Fraelich,
Delta 5,
The Moleskins,
Barry Ungar,
Radiohead,
Eurythmics,
The Saints,
Pantytec,
Theoretical Girls,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Shuggie Otis,
Organ,
Jawbox,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Parry Music,
Bad Manners,
Outsiders,
Agent Orange,
The Litter,
Robert Wyatt,
Section 25,
One Last Wish,
Television,
Yazoo,
The Tremeloes,
New York Dolls,
Pussy Galore,
Quantec,
T.S.O.L.,
Joey Negro,
Malaria!,
X-102,
Popol Vuh,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Subhumans,
Amon Düül II,
Fear,
Aloha Tigers, Aloha Tigers, Aloha Tigers, Aloha Tigers.
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.