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 Guinea-Bissau and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Woodstock 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Aaron Thompson to the grime kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 New Age Steppers. All the underground hits.
All DNA tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amon Düül II record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 snare and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Motorama record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lou Reed & John Cale,
the Slits,
John Holt,
The Birthday Party,
Patti Smith,
Fela Kuti,
K-Klass,
The Wake,
Henry Cow,
Young Marble Giants,
The Sonics,
T.S.O.L.,
Lyres,
Ronan,
Flash Fearless,
Rakim,
Drexciya,
Shoche,
The Stooges,
The Walker Brothers,
Stetsasonic,
Marvin Gaye,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
ABC,
Juan Atkins,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
DJ Style,
Public Image Ltd.,
Susan Cadogan,
The Count Five,
Idris Muhammad,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Peter & Gordon,
Circle Jerks,
Sex Pistols,
Flamin' Groovies,
Cybotron,
Isaac Hayes,
Brothers Johnson,
Heaven 17,
Grey Daturas,
Parry Music,
The Standells,
Funkadelic,
Bush Tetras,
Scott Walker,
Nik Kershaw,
The Detroit Cobras,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Gastr Del Sol,
Rotary Connection,
Groovy Waters,
The J.B.'s,
Das Ding,
Fort Wilson Riot,
a-ha,
The Motions,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
8 Eyed Spy,
Pantaleimon,
Niagra,
Eric Dolphy,
Fugazi, Fugazi, Fugazi, Fugazi.
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.