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 Bolivia and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia 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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Mumbai.
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 1975 at the first Throbbing Gristle practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Eli Mardock to the rap 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 Malaria!. All the underground hits.
All The Kinks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kevin Saunderson record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Graham Central Station record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Tremeloes,
Drexciya,
Todd Terry,
Infiniti,
The Last Poets,
Stiv Bators,
Kas Product,
Porter Ricks,
Blancmange,
Jandek,
Glenn Branca,
The Golliwogs,
Gong,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Byron Stingily,
Big Daddy Kane,
Groovy Waters,
Bush Tetras,
Barry Ungar,
Niagra,
The Divine Comedy,
June Days,
Bootsy Collins,
Nas,
Curtis Mayfield,
Flash Fearless,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Gastr Del Sol,
Fluxion,
Franke,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Skaos,
Eli Mardock,
Fatback Band,
In Retrospect,
F. McDonald,
the Soft Cell,
Dark Day,
Brothers Johnson,
the Association,
Crime,
Camouflage,
T.S.O.L.,
Lee Hazlewood,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Wake,
Scan 7,
Bobby Byrd,
Piero Umiliani,
Kayak,
Archie Shepp,
The Smoke,
Albert Ayler,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Drive Like Jehu,
New Age Steppers,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Velvet Underground,
Simply Red,
The Cramps,
Accadde A,
Marine Girls,
Hashim, Hashim, Hashim, Hashim.
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.