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 Algeria and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Throbbing Gristle show in London.
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 1964 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 Nile Rodgers 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 Blackbyrds to the techno 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 Pagans. All the underground hits.
All This Heat tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Negative Approach 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Fifty Foot Hose,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Marc Almond,
Rekid,
Harry Pussy,
The Monks,
The Vogues,
Joy Division,
Oblivians,
Rapeman,
New Order,
The Blues Magoos,
The Blackbyrds,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Ludus,
Wasted Youth,
Judy Mowatt,
Youth Brigade,
Country Teasers,
Chris & Cosey,
Black Flag,
Shoche,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
CMW,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Roy Ayers,
Talk Talk,
Crash Course in Science,
Rotary Connection,
Sparks,
Television,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Durutti Column,
David McCallum,
Erasure,
The Trojans,
Main Source,
Donny Hathaway,
The Five Americans,
Con Funk Shun,
The Leaves,
Ossler,
the Slits,
Nils Olav,
Skriet,
Matthew Bourne,
Sonny Sharrock,
Darondo,
Deadbeat,
Fugazi,
Wings,
Flipper,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Television Personalities,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Dave Gahan,
Nico,
K-Klass,
Eric B and Rakim,
Robert Wyatt,
Crooked Eye,
Scott Walker, Scott Walker, Scott Walker, Scott Walker.
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.