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 Djibouti and from London.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South 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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Lille.
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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 The Toasters to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Agent Orange. All the underground hits.
All Cybotron tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Neon Judgement 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Grauzone record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Johnny Osbourne,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Ten City,
Johnny Clarke,
Davy DMX,
The Martian,
The Techniques,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
a-ha,
Josef K,
B.T. Express,
Dual Sessions,
Tim Buckley,
Stereo Dub,
Pet Shop Boys,
10cc,
Jawbox,
Black Pus,
Wire,
Black Bananas,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
48th St. Collective,
Graham Central Station,
Mary Jane Girls,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
David Axelrod,
8 Eyed Spy,
Frankie Knuckles,
Bill Wells,
Amon Düül,
MC5,
Tres Demented,
The Star Department,
Surgeon,
Crispian St. Peters,
the Normal,
Anthony Braxton,
Joe Smooth,
Marshall Jefferson,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Bobby Sherman,
Maurizio,
Kayak,
Jeff Mills,
Accadde A,
Tomorrow,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Unrelated Segments,
Wings,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Eric Dolphy,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Ituana,
The Grass Roots,
The Gladiators,
Pylon,
Nik Kershaw,
Eurythmics,
LL Cool J,
Depeche Mode, Depeche Mode, Depeche Mode, Depeche Mode.
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.