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 Cape Verde and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Stockholm.
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 1976 at the first Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 John Lydon to the techno 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 Bill Near. All the underground hits.
All Jerry's Kids tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Jimmy McGriff record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a A Flock of Seagulls record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Happenings,
The Mummies,
David Axelrod,
The Stooges,
Animal Collective,
Jacques Brel,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Trojans,
Hot Snakes,
Arthur Verocai,
Robert Görl,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Smiths,
The Tremeloes,
Q and Not U,
Dennis Brown,
Moss Icon,
Subhumans,
The Neon Judgement,
Siglo XX,
Los Fastidios,
The United States of America,
Heaven 17,
The Cosmic Jokers,
E-Dancer,
Johnny Clarke,
Sonic Youth,
The Zeros,
Scott Walker,
Loose Ends,
H. Thieme,
Nas,
Fear,
Ice-T,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Jesper Dahlback,
Gabor Szabo,
Frankie Knuckles,
Laurel Aitken,
Blancmange,
Youth Brigade,
Bill Near,
Soul Sonic Force,
Supertramp,
Bizarre Inc.,
Yellowson,
Grey Daturas,
The Busters,
The Star Department,
Fat Boys,
Andrew Hill,
Freddie Wadling,
Spandau Ballet,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Scan 7,
Stereo Dub,
Sandy B,
Jeff Lynne,
Cabaret Voltaire,
The Pop Group,
Bluetip,
Mission of Burma,
Monks, Monks, Monks, Monks.
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.