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 Zambia and from Bologna.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1964 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Seoul and Bremen.
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 2001 at the first Tiga practice in a loft in Montreal.
I was working on the guitar 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 Sugar Minott to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Shoche. All the underground hits.
All Albert Ayler tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Chris & Cosey record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Steve Hackett record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
Jawbox,
Jacques Brel,
Spoonie Gee,
Robert Hood,
Niagra,
the Sonics,
Idris Muhammad,
Robert Görl,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Scan 7,
Grauzone,
Graham Central Station,
The Dirtbombs,
Glenn Branca,
Easy Going,
The Cure,
Symarip,
One Last Wish,
Nas,
Tres Demented,
John Foxx,
Carl Craig,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Ralphi Rosario,
Ossler,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Yusef Lateef,
Connie Case,
Yellowson,
Bluetip,
Nik Kershaw,
The Beau Brummels,
Stiv Bators,
Toni Rubio,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Kinks,
Guru Guru,
Mad Mike,
Bill Near,
The Knickerbockers,
Desert Stars,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Drexciya,
Alice Coltrane,
Malaria!,
Stetsasonic,
Bobby Sherman,
Black Flag,
Johnny Clarke,
Public Enemy,
Joe Finger,
The Doors,
Quando Quango,
Fugazi,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
China Crisis,
The Motions,
Gabor Szabo,
Pussy Galore,
Camouflage, Camouflage, Camouflage, Camouflage.
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.