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 Malaysia and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Anthony Braxton to the rock 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 Pole. All the underground hits.
All Heavy D & The Boyz tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Mandrill 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Dual Sessions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Blues Magoos,
The Real Kids,
The Associates,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Sugar Minott,
Alphaville,
X-Ray Spex,
Pantaleimon,
R.M.O.,
Mandrill,
Gang Green,
Roxy Music,
PIL,
Jacques Brel,
Marine Girls,
The Smiths,
Danielle Patucci,
Massinfluence,
Absolute Body Control,
Rufus Thomas,
Blancmange,
Alton Ellis,
The Pop Group,
Jerry's Kids,
Ultra Naté,
Quadrant,
Amon Düül II,
Judy Mowatt,
Joe Smooth,
the Fania All-Stars,
Erasure,
Ultravox,
Tears for Fears,
Aaron Thompson,
The Divine Comedy,
The Young Rascals,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Echospace,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Oblivians,
Nils Olav,
The Evens,
Carl Craig,
Nas,
Stiv Bators,
The Angels of Light,
Todd Rundgren,
Frankie Knuckles,
Camberwell Now,
The Detroit Cobras,
Gong,
Michelle Simonal,
Scion,
Neu!,
Gang Starr,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Nirvana,
Faust,
Moss Icon,
Liliput, Liliput, Liliput, Liliput.
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.