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 Philippines and from Spokane.
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 1962 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Cairo and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the theremin 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 Subhumans to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane. All the underground hits.
All Prince Buster tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Aaron Thompson record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 guitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nation of Ulysses record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
John Coltrane,
Television,
Quantec,
The Shadows of Knight,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Tom Boy,
Robert Wyatt,
Lakeside,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Nation of Ulysses,
T. Rex,
Lindisfarne,
Bronski Beat,
Byron Stingily,
Ludus,
Metal Thangz,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Al Stewart,
The Trojans,
Kerri Chandler,
The Invisible,
Joe Smooth,
Lou Reed,
ABC,
The Velvet Underground,
B.T. Express,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Maleditus Sound,
The Gories,
Barry Ungar,
Pagans,
Yaz,
Archie Shepp,
Gichy Dan,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Lower 48,
Juan Atkins,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
John Lydon,
Pere Ubu,
Niagra,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Drexciya,
Cluster,
The Names,
Simply Red,
10cc,
The Dead C,
The Gladiators,
Colin Newman,
Young Marble Giants,
Cecil Taylor,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Cowsills,
Ralphi Rosario,
Mars,
Black Pus,
Nick Fraelich,
Deepchord,
Piero Umiliani,
The Modern Lovers,
Index,
Saccharine Trust, Saccharine Trust, Saccharine Trust, Saccharine Trust.
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.