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 Benin and from Delhi.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1971 at the first Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the oboe 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 Skaos to the disco kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Kayak. All the underground hits.
All Vainqueur tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rapeman 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ossler record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Dead C,
Godley & Creme,
Eli Mardock,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Ossler,
Ultravox,
Robert Hood,
Monolake,
Agent Orange,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Young Rascals,
Popol Vuh,
DJ Sneak,
The Fall,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
New Order,
Jandek,
Neil Young,
Oneida,
Bad Manners,
Scratch Acid,
Slave,
The Saints,
The Victims,
The Alarm Clocks,
Little Man,
Maleditus Sound,
Harry Pussy,
Joyce Sims,
Warren Ellis,
The Sound,
Procol Harum,
Laurel Aitken,
Mantronix,
Animal Collective,
X-102,
Mission of Burma,
Liliput,
Amon Düül,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Sexual Harrassment,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Drive Like Jehu,
Terry Callier,
Babytalk,
Mo-Dettes,
Ice-T,
Das Ding,
The Star Department,
Bronski Beat,
The Dirtbombs,
Harpers Bizarre,
Fela Kuti,
Banda Bassotti,
Goldenarms,
Dark Day,
Colin Newman,
Gichy Dan,
Tom Boy,
Audionom,
Tropical Tobacco,
Soft Cell, Soft Cell, Soft Cell, Soft Cell.
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.