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 Lesotho and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1960 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Beijing.
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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Normal to the rock kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 The Gladiators. All the underground hits.
All Derrick Morgan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Royal Trux record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Fortunes 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?
Swell Maps,
Gichy Dan,
Cluster,
DNA,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Technova,
Buzzcocks,
Frankie Knuckles,
Ronan,
Sun City Girls,
Erykah Badu,
Joe Finger,
the Human League,
Radio Birdman,
The Last Poets,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Terrestrial Tones,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Fatback Band,
Barbara Tucker,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Angry Samoans,
Lyres,
Heaven 17,
Harmonia,
The Birthday Party,
LL Cool J,
Talk Talk,
Eric Dolphy,
Lungfish,
Prince Buster,
Thompson Twins,
Isaac Hayes,
Saccharine Trust,
Faraquet,
Derrick May,
Archie Shepp,
MC5,
Joy Division,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
B.T. Express,
Newcleus,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Wolf Eyes,
Shuggie Otis,
Metal Thangz,
Slave,
Todd Rundgren,
The Tremeloes,
Franke,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Young Marble Giants,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Livin' Joy,
Nation of Ulysses,
The Count Five,
the Fania All-Stars,
Organ,
L. Decosne,
Von Mondo, Von Mondo, Von Mondo, Von Mondo.
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.