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 Korea North and from Sao Paulo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in London.
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 1969 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 Chic practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the snare sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Ralphi Rosario to the grime 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 Graham Central Station. All the underground hits.
All David Axelrod tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Beasts of Bourbon record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Colin Newman,
Robert Wyatt,
Aloha Tigers,
The Star Department,
B.T. Express,
ABBA,
The Invisible,
Rhythm & Sound,
PIL,
Reuben Wilson,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Hasil Adkins,
Rufus Thomas,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Byron Stingily,
The Zeros,
Dual Sessions,
Cal Tjader,
Johnny Clarke,
New Order,
Thompson Twins,
Panda Bear,
Tres Demented,
DJ Sneak,
Idris Muhammad,
Moss Icon,
The Mummies,
Eurythmics,
Todd Terry,
David Axelrod,
The Young Rascals,
Traffic Nightmare,
Girls At Our Best!,
Spandau Ballet,
Lyres,
Popol Vuh,
Unwound,
Gang Starr,
Flipper,
Howard Jones,
Nik Kershaw,
Tommy Roe,
The United States of America,
Das Ding,
Anakelly,
Aaron Thompson,
James White and The Blacks,
CMW,
Basic Channel,
Lightning Bolt,
Minnie Riperton,
The Motions,
The Five Americans,
Niagra,
John Holt,
Flamin' Groovies,
The Durutti Column,
Depeche Mode,
Jeff Mills,
Graham Central Station,
Chrome, Chrome, Chrome, Chrome.
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.