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 Tunisia and from Hong Kong.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Zapp show in Hamilton.
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 Johannesburg and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the chamberlin 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 Bad Manners to the funk 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 Jeru the Damaja. All the underground hits.
All Siouxsie and the Banshees tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Fela Kuti 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Basic Channel record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Flesh Eaters,
Tomorrow,
The Mummies,
LL Cool J,
The Kinks,
Laurel Aitken,
Fat Boys,
Animal Collective,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Fugazi,
Cymande,
The Birthday Party,
Zapp,
Funky Four + One,
Aaron Thompson,
Graham Central Station,
The Black Dice,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Hashim,
Q and Not U,
FM Einheit,
Barry Ungar,
Adolescents,
Minor Threat,
Public Image Ltd.,
Tears for Fears,
The Wake,
Hoover,
Heaven 17,
Minnie Riperton,
Barrington Levy,
Amazonics,
Lou Christie,
the Slits,
Wire,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Stockholm Monsters,
Grey Daturas,
Radiopuhelimet,
Eden Ahbez,
Japan,
Subhumans,
New York Dolls,
Sex Pistols,
Donny Hathaway,
Lou Reed,
Gerry Rafferty,
Marine Girls,
The Move,
Youth Brigade,
Gang of Four,
Nico,
Moss Icon,
Buzzcocks,
Essential Logic,
Slave,
Sixth Finger,
Pantaleimon,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Dave Clark Five,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
The Real Kids,
Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru.
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.