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 Madagascar and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1961 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Basic Channel to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 The Durutti Column. All the underground hits.
All Joe Smooth tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every 10cc 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and a clarinet 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 marimba and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Arcadia,
Massinfluence,
Pet Shop Boys,
Grauzone,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Leaves,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
E-Dancer,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Boogie Down Productions,
Letta Mbulu,
Sly & The Family Stone,
The Happenings,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Alphaville,
Jandek,
The Fire Engines,
The Offenders,
Yusef Lateef,
Roy Ayers,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Flamin' Groovies,
Laurel Aitken,
The Moody Blues,
The Doors,
Fatback Band,
The Fugs,
John Holt,
Throbbing Gristle,
Big Daddy Kane,
Ludus,
Dorothy Ashby,
Rakim,
Porter Ricks,
Can,
Buzzcocks,
Subhumans,
Dave Gahan,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Country Teasers,
the Bar-Kays,
Janne Schatter,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Marmalade,
Model 500,
Andrew Hill,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Mojo Men,
Urselle,
Roxette,
Drexciya,
Radiopuhelimet,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Zero Boys,
Scientists,
Cal Tjader,
Terry Callier,
Piero Umiliani,
Quando Quango,
Curtis Mayfield,
Jerry's Kids,
The Smiths, The Smiths, The Smiths, The Smiths.
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.