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 Dominica and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 Paris and Mumbai.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Urselle to the rap 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 Mars. All the underground hits.
All Sugar Minott tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Detroit Cobras record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ronan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin 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 Slits,
Tommy Roe,
Gang of Four,
Chrome,
Bobby Sherman,
Goldenarms,
Josef K,
Tears for Fears,
The Divine Comedy,
Fat Boys,
Cymande,
Newcleus,
Country Teasers,
Rosa Yemen,
Spoonie Gee,
Ash Ra Tempel,
ABC,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Alarm Clocks,
Erasure,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Radiopuhelimet,
Moby Grape,
Joe Smooth,
The Stooges,
The Buckinghams,
Susan Cadogan,
Graham Central Station,
Amon Düül,
The Mojo Men,
The Human League,
The Modern Lovers,
The Move,
The Vogues,
Half Japanese,
8 Eyed Spy,
The Velvet Underground,
The American Breed,
Ultravox,
Jacques Brel,
The Gun Club,
The Index,
Lungfish,
Audionom,
Lower 48,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Johnny Osbourne,
Echospace,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Das Ding,
The Electric Prunes,
Aural Exciters,
Alice Coltrane,
Tubeway Army,
Drive Like Jehu,
Thee Headcoats,
The Five Americans,
Scan 7,
Eli Mardock,
Cal Tjader,
Cecil Taylor,
Jandek,
The New Christs, The New Christs, The New Christs, The New Christs.
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.