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 Pakistan and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1987.
I was there at the first Nirvana show in Seattle.
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 1960 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tokyo 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 Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the 808 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 Pylon to the rock kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Warren Ellis. All the underground hits.
All Fela Kuti tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Boogie Down Productions record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 güiro and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Unwound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Skatalites,
The Sonics,
Radiopuhelimet,
CMW,
The Smoke,
Jerry's Kids,
Hardrive,
Juan Atkins,
The Litter,
Underground Resistance,
The Beau Brummels,
Brick,
Pharoah Sanders,
Basic Channel,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Clear Light,
Alison Limerick,
Harry Pussy,
The Misunderstood,
The Slackers,
Gang Gang Dance,
Gastr Del Sol,
Tommy Roe,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Bush Tetras,
Barrington Levy,
Television,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
John Lydon,
Jacques Brel,
The J.B.'s,
The Dirtbombs,
Max Romeo,
Flipper,
Theoretical Girls,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Gladiators,
the Fania All-Stars,
Ituana,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Star Department,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Alphaville,
Wire,
Gang Starr,
Kaleidoscope,
H. Thieme,
Procol Harum,
Quando Quango,
Donald Byrd,
Trumans Water,
E-Dancer,
The Angels of Light,
Idris Muhammad,
8 Eyed Spy,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Quantec,
Chris & Cosey,
Fatback Band,
Derrick May,
Qualms, Qualms, Qualms, Qualms.
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.