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 Pakistan and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Wire show in Watford.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Hong Kong.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Sonic Youth to the punk kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Agitation Free. All the underground hits.
All The Five Americans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bang on a Can All-Stars 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Colin Newman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
B.T. Express,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Heaven 17,
Pulsallama,
Glambeats Corp.,
Outsiders,
R.M.O.,
Neil Young,
The Electric Prunes,
Scratch Acid,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Public Image Ltd.,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Eurythmics,
Eric B and Rakim,
Lou Christie,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Bluetip,
Massinfluence,
Parry Music,
Marc Almond,
Skriet,
Althea and Donna,
Sparks,
Joy Division,
Roy Ayers,
Newcleus,
LL Cool J,
Ponytail,
Marmalade,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Kas Product,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Anakelly,
Fatback Band,
June Days,
Electric Prunes,
Khruangbin,
The Gun Club,
Rosa Yemen,
Kerri Chandler,
Dead Boys,
Dark Day,
The Leaves,
L. Decosne,
The Monochrome Set,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Grey Daturas,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Gabor Szabo,
The Gladiators,
Sixth Finger,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Funky Four + One,
David Axelrod,
Jawbox,
Slick Rick,
Silicon Teens,
Scan 7,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Sex Pistols, Sex Pistols, Sex Pistols, Sex Pistols.
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.