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 Uganda and from Salvador.
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 1963 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Paris.
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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Fania All-Stars to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Sight & Sound. All the underground hits.
All Gang Starr tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sad Lovers and Giants record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk 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 linndrum and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lee Hazlewood record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
The Techniques,
The Flesh Eaters,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
ABBA,
Jawbox,
The Associates,
Theoretical Girls,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Basic Channel,
R.M.O.,
Bob Dylan,
The Leaves,
Ice-T,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Saccharine Trust,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Toasters,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Clear Light,
Throbbing Gristle,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Siglo XX,
Quadrant,
The Fugs,
Metal Thangz,
Cal Tjader,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Hasil Adkins,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Ronan,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Barbara Tucker,
Guru Guru,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
A Flock of Seagulls,
a-ha,
Boz Scaggs,
Ossler,
Lindisfarne,
Franke,
Smog,
The Saints,
Jerry's Kids,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Eddi Front,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Todd Terry,
Glenn Branca,
Eden Ahbez,
Minny Pops,
The Music Machine,
Surgeon,
Man Eating Sloth,
Johnny Clarke,
Joe Smooth,
Arcadia,
Youth Brigade, Youth Brigade, Youth Brigade, Youth Brigade.
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.