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 South Sudan and from Mexico City.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in 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 1964 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the guitar 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 The Slackers to the punk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Amazonics. All the underground hits.
All Jandek tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Peanut Butter Conspiracy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 synthesizer and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Average White Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
a-ha,
The Grass Roots,
Wings,
Trumans Water,
Severed Heads,
Drexciya,
Matthew Halsall,
Andrew Hill,
Wasted Youth,
Radiohead,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Todd Terry,
Kenny Larkin,
Quadrant,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
The Sonics,
Godley & Creme,
Q65,
The Busters,
The Move,
Graham Central Station,
10cc,
Desert Stars,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Rapeman,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Soul II Soul,
E-Dancer,
Chrome,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Jawbox,
Fat Boys,
Royal Trux,
Radio Birdman,
The Count Five,
Cybotron,
Y Pants,
Rosa Yemen,
Neu!,
DJ Sneak,
Glenn Branca,
Main Source,
The Wake,
The Mummies,
Panda Bear,
Livin' Joy,
Rufus Thomas,
Lower 48,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
The Red Krayola,
The Black Dice,
The Misunderstood,
The Electric Prunes,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Public Enemy,
Deadbeat,
Dead Boys,
Juan Atkins,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Rhythm & Sound,
Yusef Lateef,
Frankie Knuckles, Frankie Knuckles, Frankie Knuckles, Frankie Knuckles.
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.