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 Mauritius and from Winnipeg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 1963 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 harpsichord 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 the Human League to the grime kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Schoolly D. All the underground hits.
All The Doobie Brothers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every F. McDonald record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bang on a Can All-Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Iggy Pop,
Henry Cow,
Connie Case,
Rekid,
Ohio Players,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Niagra,
Visionaries,LMNO, T- Love & Iriscience,
Quantec,
Stockholm Monsters,
Jeff Lynne,
New Age Steppers,
Dual Sessions,
John Foxx,
Pet Shop Boys,
Goldenarms,
Donald Byrd,
Franke,
Terry Callier,
Khruangbin,
Organ,
The Gories,
Deepchord,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Basic Channel,
Janne Schatter,
Bluetip,
Aswad,
Leonard Cohen,
Jacob Miller,
Warren Ellis,
Bobby Sherman,
The Happenings,
New York Dolls,
F. McDonald,
Vladislav Delay,
Whodini,
Fela Kuti,
Big Daddy Kane,
John Coltrane,
Slave,
Country Joe & The Fish,
The Slackers,
Kurtis Blow,
Lalann,
The Gun Club,
The Stooges,
Lower 48,
ABBA,
Sunsets and Hearts,
The Techniques,
Peter and Kerry,
The Grass Roots,
Mad Mike,
The Star Department,
Lou Christie,
Mars,
Boogie Down Productions,
Boz Scaggs,
Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division.
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.