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 Congo and from New York.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1965 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Copenhagen and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Houston 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to the dance 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 Slick Rick. All the underground hits.
All Jawbox tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Freddie Wadling record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
ABBA,
The Raincoats,
Robert Görl,
Reuben Wilson,
Ornette Coleman,
Frankie Knuckles,
the Fania All-Stars,
Basic Channel,
Amon Düül,
Lungfish,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Urselle,
Charles Mingus,
Goldenarms,
The Martian,
Simply Red,
Gong,
Public Image Ltd.,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
John Holt,
Ultravox,
T. Rex,
John Lydon,
Black Moon,
Eve St. Jones,
Little Man,
The Stooges,
LL Cool J,
Public Enemy,
The Flesh Eaters,
Sonny Sharrock,
Hot Snakes,
Second Layer,
Sexual Harrassment,
Yazoo,
Lou Christie,
Soulsonic Force,
Pere Ubu,
Thee Headcoats,
Skarface,
Interpol,
Kayak,
Robert Hood,
Scientists,
Ossler,
Morten Harket,
Angry Samoans,
Cymande,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Stiv Bators,
Maleditus Sound,
Iggy Pop,
Half Japanese,
Pylon,
The Victims,
Silicon Teens,
The Five Americans,
Johnny Clarke,
Lou Reed,
Newcleus,
Barry Ungar,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
UT, UT, UT, UT.
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.