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 Albania and from Lagos.
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 1964 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1962 at the first Guess Who practice in a loft in Winnipeg.
I was working on the 808 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 Tom Boy to the punk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Ossler. All the underground hits.
All Hashim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Cosmic Jokers 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Tears for Fears record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Henry Cow,
Youth Brigade,
Bill Wells,
Half Japanese,
Pantytec,
Cecil Taylor,
the Human League,
Ultravox,
Young Marble Giants,
Delon & Dalcan,
Soulsonic Force,
the Slits,
The Saints,
Quando Quango,
Skarface,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Blake Baxter,
Glambeats Corp.,
These Immortal Souls,
Sex Pistols,
Minor Threat,
The Golliwogs,
Inner City,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Durutti Column,
Gastr Del Sol,
Eli Mardock,
Pierre Henry,
Goldenarms,
Cheater Slicks,
Whodini,
Eric B and Rakim,
Animal Collective,
Curtis Mayfield,
China Crisis,
Hot Snakes,
Morten Harket,
Chris Corsano,
Banda Bassotti,
Visage,
Reagan Youth,
The Gap Band,
Hardrive,
Little Man,
Mr. Review,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Skatalites,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Tubeway Army,
Bizarre Inc.,
Sister Nancy,
Roxette,
Jacques Brel,
Make Up,
H. Thieme,
Desert Stars,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Porter Ricks,
Camberwell Now,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Sonics,
Alphaville,
Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith, Patti Smith.
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.