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 Philippines and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Bronski Beat show in Brixton.
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 1966 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 The Slits to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 The Kinks. All the underground hits.
All Faraquet tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Blossom Toes record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Silicon Teens record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Urselle,
B.T. Express,
PIL,
Byron Stingily,
the Slits,
Massinfluence,
Alton Ellis,
The Dirtbombs,
Saccharine Trust,
Japan,
Crooked Eye,
The Residents,
Pagans,
kango's stein massive,
the Fania All-Stars,
David Axelrod,
Chris & Cosey,
Kurtis Blow,
Ituana,
Warren Ellis,
UT,
The Red Krayola,
Roy Ayers,
Sparks,
Black Bananas,
Nico,
Maleditus Sound,
Ronan,
Big Daddy Kane,
Marmalade,
Black Pus,
The Misunderstood,
Warsaw,
Traffic Nightmare,
Oneida,
Max Romeo,
The Smiths,
Brass Construction,
Black Moon,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Anakelly,
48th St. Collective,
Mantronix,
the Association,
Bizarre Inc.,
Ten City,
The Offenders,
Royal Trux,
The Golliwogs,
The Electric Prunes,
Whodini,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Monochrome Set,
Tommy Roe,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Yellowson,
Don Cherry,
Iggy Pop,
Dark Day,
Pierre Henry,
These Immortal Souls,
Ultra Naté,
Sight & Sound, Sight & Sound, Sight & Sound, Sight & Sound.
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.