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 Jamaica and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the snare 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 Minny Pops to the rap 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 Tommy Roe. All the underground hits.
All OOIOO tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fat Boys 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Colin Newman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Erykah Badu,
Country Teasers,
Pussy Galore,
The Toasters,
The Grass Roots,
The Index,
Popol Vuh,
AZ,
Suburban Knight,
The Residents,
Anthony Braxton,
Bill Wells,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Fugs,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Mr. Review,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Colin Newman,
Oblivians,
Dead Boys,
the Swans,
Basic Channel,
Lucky Dragons,
The Doobie Brothers,
Arthur Verocai,
Joensuu 1685,
Dorothy Ashby,
48th St. Collective,
Tropical Tobacco,
Boredoms,
The Cramps,
Delta 5,
Althea and Donna,
Eric Dolphy,
Amazonics,
The Vogues,
The Gun Club,
Ituana,
Newcleus,
The Leaves,
Gang of Four,
Pantaleimon,
Saccharine Trust,
Rhythm & Sound,
Hashim,
Silicon Teens,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Rapeman,
Amon Düül,
The New Christs,
Sarah Menescal,
The Misunderstood,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
James Chance & The Contortions,
Angry Samoans,
Massinfluence,
Vainqueur,
Aswad,
Sight & Sound,
Yaz,
The Kinks, The Kinks, The Kinks, The Kinks.
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.