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 Nigeria and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1973.
I was there at the first Television show in New York.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Zero Boys to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Lafayette Afro Rock Band. All the underground hits.
All Subhumans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Tom Boy 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sonny Sharrock record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sandy B,
Pussy Galore,
Scan 7,
Cecil Taylor,
Little Man,
Idris Muhammad,
The Tremeloes,
PIL,
Easy Going,
Hardrive,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Spandau Ballet,
The Kinks,
Anthony Braxton,
Brand Nubian,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Associates,
Fela Kuti,
Kool Moe Dee,
Marmalade,
Yaz,
Joe Smooth,
The Angels of Light,
The Pop Group,
Pylon,
Depeche Mode,
Robert Wyatt,
Dorothy Ashby,
Y Pants,
Sugar Minott,
Joensuu 1685,
Intrusion,
Bobby Byrd,
Nas,
The American Breed,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Los Fastidios,
Radiopuhelimet,
The Leaves,
The Alarm Clocks,
Qualms,
Royal Trux,
Saccharine Trust,
Eve St. Jones,
Babytalk,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Juan Atkins,
Flamin' Groovies,
Skaos,
Young Marble Giants,
Soul Sonic Force,
Curtis Mayfield,
The Flesh Eaters,
Connie Case,
The Invisible,
Boz Scaggs,
Peter and Kerry,
The Vogues,
Howard Jones,
Amazonics, Amazonics, Amazonics, Amazonics.
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.