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 Thailand and from Beijing.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1969 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Lonnie Liston Smith to the rap kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Anthony Braxton. All the underground hits.
All Ken Boothe tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Leaves record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock 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 güiro and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Fela Kuti record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum 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 United States of America,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
The Dirtbombs,
Brand Nubian,
Neil Young,
The Sound,
E-Dancer,
Kayak,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Index,
Soft Machine,
Niagra,
the Germs,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Procol Harum,
Cal Tjader,
JFA,
One Last Wish,
Althea and Donna,
Warsaw,
Slave,
Clear Light,
Nation of Ulysses,
Saccharine Trust,
Surgeon,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Arab on Radar,
Traffic Nightmare,
Kaleidoscope,
The Gun Club,
Unwound,
Sonic Youth,
The Barracudas,
Public Image Ltd.,
Spandau Ballet,
Throbbing Gristle,
Subhumans,
Magma,
Technova,
Popol Vuh,
Robert Wyatt,
Juan Atkins,
Flash Fearless,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Modern Lovers,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Mary Jane Girls,
Hot Snakes,
Electric Prunes,
The Tremeloes,
Masters at Work,
Derrick May,
Aswad,
The Velvet Underground,
Amazonics,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Zapp,
Aloha Tigers,
DJ Style,
Ken Boothe, Ken Boothe, Ken Boothe, Ken Boothe.
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.