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 Korea North and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Hong Kong.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Index to the punk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Strawberry Alarm Clock. All the underground hits.
All Don Cherry tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Mars 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Electric Light Orchestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
Alton Ellis,
Ossler,
Fatback Band,
Yazoo,
Maleditus Sound,
Delon & Dalcan,
Gregory Isaacs,
Tubeway Army,
The Human League,
the Swans,
Deadbeat,
The Real Kids,
The Zeros,
Whodini,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Sight & Sound,
Animal Collective,
The Count Five,
Make Up,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Chris & Cosey,
Oblivians,
The Doobie Brothers,
Au Pairs,
The Beau Brummels,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Vogues,
The Neon Judgement,
The Smiths,
Crispian St. Peters,
Black Bananas,
Terrestrial Tones,
Graham Central Station,
Minnie Riperton,
Kas Product,
the Normal,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
The Grass Roots,
Davy DMX,
Harpers Bizarre,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Index,
The Invisible,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Japan,
Pagans,
Lou Reed,
the Fania All-Stars,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Godley & Creme,
Gang Starr,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Residents,
Heaven 17,
Fluxion,
The United States of America,
Absolute Body Control,
Boz Scaggs,
These Immortal Souls,
Young Marble Giants,
Brass Construction,
The Last Poets,
Gil Scott Heron,
The Wake, The Wake, The Wake, The Wake.
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.