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 Paraguay and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1961 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Sao Paulo and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Eve St. Jones to the techno 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 Swans. All the underground hits.
All Hasil Adkins tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Heavy D & The Boyz 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lou Reed record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Albert Ayler,
Intrusion,
New Age Steppers,
Slave,
Reuben Wilson,
Japan,
Black Moon,
48th St. Collective,
Lyres,
Gil Scott Heron,
Lindisfarne,
The Saints,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Von Mondo,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Symarip,
Jimmy McGriff,
Outsiders,
Prince Buster,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Gap Band,
Talk Talk,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Agent Orange,
Newcleus,
Tears for Fears,
The Five Americans,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Banda Bassotti,
Cal Tjader,
10cc,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Sonic Youth,
Ponytail,
Throbbing Gristle,
Bang On A Can,
Yellowson,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
K-Klass,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Black Bananas,
Scratch Acid,
Sugar Minott,
Harmonia,
Delta 5,
Moss Icon,
the Slits,
Soul Sonic Force,
Urselle,
Piero Umiliani,
the Germs,
Public Image Ltd.,
Index,
The Dead C,
The Modern Lovers,
the Fania All-Stars,
Fela Kuti,
Schoolly D,
KRS-One,
Bobby Byrd, Bobby Byrd, Bobby Byrd, Bobby Byrd.
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.