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 Belize and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1962 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 synthesizer sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Leonard Cohen to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 De La Soul & Jungle Brothers. All the underground hits.
All Electric Light Orchestra tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Flesh Eaters record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Judy Mowatt record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Television Personalities,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Eve St. Jones,
OOIOO,
Stiv Bators,
Delta 5,
Jandek,
Robert Wyatt,
Marc Almond,
Anakelly,
The Evens,
Jacob Miller,
Jeru the Damaja,
Japan,
The Fall,
Gil Scott Heron,
Toni Rubio,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
June Days,
Index,
Minor Threat,
MDC,
The Neon Judgement,
Duran Duran,
Eurythmics,
Television,
Rhythm & Sound,
Crime,
Connie Case,
the Slits,
Flipper,
The Trojans,
FM Einheit,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Unwound,
Neil Young,
Iggy Pop,
Josef K,
Goldenarms,
Hashim,
Joe Finger,
The Flesh Eaters,
Erykah Badu,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Swans,
Sandy B,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Arab on Radar,
KRS-One,
Public Image Ltd.,
Graham Central Station,
Boz Scaggs,
Wally Richardson,
the Human League,
Ken Boothe,
Spoonie Gee,
Bush Tetras,
Hot Snakes,
Mars,
Vladislav Delay,
Basic Channel, Basic Channel, Basic Channel, Basic Channel.
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.