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 Papua New Guinea and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Woodstock.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Fort Wilson Riot to the grunge 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 Eric Copeland. All the underground hits.
All Amon Düül tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Scientists record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 808 and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lou Christie,
Procol Harum,
the Swans,
Darondo,
Joensuu 1685,
Alice Coltrane,
Maurizio,
Ohio Players,
Deadbeat,
Gang of Four,
Dawn Penn,
Warren Ellis,
The Raincoats,
The Victims,
10cc,
Drexciya,
Massinfluence,
Eurythmics,
Todd Terry,
Pylon,
Mandrill,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Lebanon Hanover,
Nik Kershaw,
Inner City,
Schoolly D,
Marshall Jefferson,
Grandmaster Flash,
John Foxx,
Gabor Szabo,
Joey Negro,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
John Holt,
Kool Moe Dee,
Thee Headcoats,
Alison Limerick,
Amazonics,
The Blues Magoos,
The New Christs,
Leonard Cohen,
Eden Ahbez,
Electric Prunes,
The Busters,
John Lydon,
The Birthday Party,
Gang Green,
Wings,
Joe Smooth,
Dark Day,
The Monochrome Set,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Names,
Chrome,
Archie Shepp,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Seeds,
Chris & Cosey,
Q and Not U,
The Associates,
David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie.
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.