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 Belarus and from Spokane.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Heavy D & The Boyz to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Ash Ra Tempel. All the underground hits.
All Tres Demented tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The United States of America record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mad Mike,
Soft Machine,
Charles Mingus,
Chris & Cosey,
The Young Rascals,
Bad Manners,
F. McDonald,
Joy Division,
Sällskapet,
Theoretical Girls,
Los Fastidios,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Simply Red,
Prince Buster,
John Coltrane,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Suburban Knight,
The Five Americans,
Guru Guru,
Crispian St. Peters,
Urselle,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
EPMD,
The Human League,
Qualms,
Gang Gang Dance,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The J.B.'s,
Pharoah Sanders,
Davy DMX,
Panda Bear,
Kayak,
Malaria!,
Letta Mbulu,
Minny Pops,
Talk Talk,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Groovy Waters,
The Pretty Things,
Barclay James Harvest,
Robert Hood,
Fluxion,
Jimmy McGriff,
R.M.O.,
The Red Krayola,
Eric Copeland,
The New Christs,
Siglo XX,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Oneida,
Buzzcocks,
Kerrie Biddell,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Glambeats Corp.,
A Certain Ratio,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Clear Light,
Archie Shepp,
The Raincoats,
Fela Kuti,
Derrick May,
Faraquet,
Ituana, Ituana, Ituana, Ituana.
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.