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 Slovakia and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1967 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Portland and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Organ to the funk 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 The Blackbyrds. All the underground hits.
All Arthur Verocai tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Newcleus 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a John Cale 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?
The Five Americans,
Bang On A Can,
Model 500,
The Offenders,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Tubeway Army,
The Misunderstood,
the Association,
Susan Cadogan,
The Searchers,
Rod Modell,
the Human League,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Eric B and Rakim,
Motorama,
Junior Murvin,
Schoolly D,
Agent Orange,
Malaria!,
Excepter,
Circle Jerks,
Hot Snakes,
Rotary Connection,
Neu!,
Howard Jones,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Babytalk,
Alison Limerick,
Pole,
the Swans,
Todd Terry,
The Fire Engines,
Avey Tare,
Chris & Cosey,
The Walker Brothers,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Tres Demented,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Faust,
Archie Shepp,
Gastr Del Sol,
Colin Newman,
The Martian,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Techniques,
Derrick May,
Joe Smooth,
Spandau Ballet,
Johnny Osbourne,
Half Japanese,
Arab on Radar,
Aloha Tigers,
Fela Kuti,
Icehouse,
Brand Nubian,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Fear,
Essential Logic,
Godley & Creme,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Sällskapet, Sällskapet, Sällskapet, Sällskapet.
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.