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 Austria and from Johannesburg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Neu! show in Düsseldorf.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manila 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Agent Orange to the jazz 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 Byron Stingily. All the underground hits.
All The Slackers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ash Ra Tempel record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jeff Lynne record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Blackbyrds,
David Bowie,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Lucky Dragons,
Kevin Saunderson,
Bobby Womack,
The Fugs,
Liliput,
Pierre Henry,
Intrusion,
Rotary Connection,
Johnny Osbourne,
Tomorrow,
The Music Machine,
Nils Olav,
Gichy Dan,
Crispian St. Peters,
Jacques Brel,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Second Layer,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Albert Ayler,
Alphaville,
Gang Green,
Blancmange,
Robert Wyatt,
Lou Reed,
Hoover,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Lebanon Hanover,
Marshall Jefferson,
Peter and Kerry,
Bang On A Can,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Little Man,
Bluetip,
Loose Ends,
Henry Cow,
Negative Approach,
Con Funk Shun,
Joe Smooth,
A Flock of Seagulls,
The Skatalites,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Swell Maps,
Eyeless In Gaza,
a-ha,
The Wake,
Niagra,
Aloha Tigers,
Kayak,
Faust,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
L. Decosne,
Au Pairs,
Mr. Review,
The Smoke,
Ice-T,
The Black Dice,
The Dead C,
Pylon,
Kas Product, Kas Product, Kas Product, Kas Product.
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.