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 Madagascar and from Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 Toronto and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 The Slackers to the punk kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Y Pants. All the underground hits.
All June Days tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Remains record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
OOIOO,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
David Bowie,
Ponytail,
Yellowson,
Idris Muhammad,
The Moody Blues,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Gang Green,
New York Dolls,
Al Stewart,
Jacob Miller,
Avey Tare,
Dorothy Ashby,
Half Japanese,
The Offenders,
Quando Quango,
Peter & Gordon,
Faust,
Cymande,
Lakeside,
The Toasters,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Cal Tjader,
The Selecter,
Harpers Bizarre,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Throbbing Gristle,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Eric Copeland,
Iggy Pop,
Bluetip,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Sexual Harrassment,
Carl Craig,
The Velvet Underground,
Grandmaster Flash,
Slave,
John Cale,
Rakim,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Jeru the Damaja,
Lou Reed,
Thompson Twins,
Stereo Dub,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Lebanon Hanover,
Marcia Griffiths,
Grauzone,
Shuggie Otis,
Unwound,
Television Personalities,
the Association,
Camouflage,
Robert Wyatt,
Flipper,
Mars,
Goldenarms, Goldenarms, Goldenarms, Goldenarms.
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.