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 Sudan and from Lagos.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Taipei.
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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Be Bop Deluxe to the grunge 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 Fugazi. All the underground hits.
All Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Throbbing Gristle record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 an organ and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Be Bop Deluxe record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Theoretical Girls,
the Fania All-Stars,
Faraquet,
Gong,
Aaron Thompson,
Bobby Byrd,
Colin Newman,
Depeche Mode,
Grandmaster Flash,
Au Pairs,
The Music Machine,
Gerry Rafferty,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
The Fuzztones,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
48th St. Collective,
Interpol,
Spoonie Gee,
Pussy Galore,
Kurtis Blow,
Man Parrish,
Brass Construction,
Sister Nancy,
The Human League,
Chrome,
Barry Ungar,
OOIOO,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Organ,
Radiopuhelimet,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Mantronix,
The Smiths,
Arcadia,
Hashim,
Ituana,
Cheater Slicks,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Davy DMX,
Crispian St. Peters,
Scan 7,
Accadde A,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Blake Baxter,
Fela Kuti,
LL Cool J,
Talk Talk,
James White and The Blacks,
Malaria!,
Camberwell Now,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Anakelly,
Siglo XX,
Magma,
Chris & Cosey,
Dark Day,
Anthony Braxton,
Bluetip,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Iggy Pop, Iggy Pop, Iggy Pop, Iggy Pop.
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.