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 Hungary and from Johannesburg.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1966 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Jakarta.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 1984 at the first Arcadia 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 N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Hasil Adkins. All the underground hits.
All Gang Green tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Livin' Joy record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Heaven 17 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Music Machine,
Marc Almond,
Neil Young,
KRS-One,
Liliput,
The Litter,
John Cale,
Skaos,
Archie Shepp,
Jandek,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
the Fania All-Stars,
Jerry's Kids,
Kurtis Blow,
Fela Kuti,
F. McDonald,
Model 500,
Kas Product,
Whodini,
Robert Wyatt,
the Human League,
Accadde A,
Joyce Sims,
The Dirtbombs,
Eli Mardock,
The Divine Comedy,
Joe Finger,
Nirvana,
Supertramp,
Newcleus,
Unwound,
48th St. Collective,
Deepchord,
Scan 7,
Godley & Creme,
Hardrive,
Mission of Burma,
Josef K,
The Fire Engines,
Bush Tetras,
The Happenings,
Wire,
Faraquet,
Groovy Waters,
June of 44,
Dorothy Ashby,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Hoover,
Average White Band,
Iggy Pop,
Make Up,
Glenn Branca,
Flipper,
T.S.O.L.,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Alton Ellis,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Pulsallama, Pulsallama, Pulsallama, Pulsallama.
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.