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 Syria and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1975.
I was there at the first Ubu show in Cleveland.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 marimba 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 Althea and Donna to the dance 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 Jimmy McGriff. All the underground hits.
All Malaria! tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Minor Threat record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rhythm & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Dave Clark Five,
Gang Gang Dance,
EPMD,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Cameo,
The Modern Lovers,
Cymande,
The Move,
DJ Style,
Black Moon,
Ice-T,
Brand Nubian,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Velvet Underground,
Lou Christie,
H. Thieme,
Sister Nancy,
Dead Boys,
Pussy Galore,
Mars,
Fela Kuti,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Andrew Hill,
Bill Wells,
Shuggie Otis,
Unwound,
Desert Stars,
Tropical Tobacco,
Organ,
Malaria!,
Peter & Gordon,
Gregory Isaacs,
Lyres,
The New Christs,
Johnny Clarke,
Metal Thangz,
Sun City Girls,
Aural Exciters,
Guru Guru,
Kevin Saunderson,
Lower 48,
David Axelrod,
Tears for Fears,
June Days,
Fad Gadget,
Gil Scott Heron,
Scrapy,
James White and The Blacks,
Erasure,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Black Pus,
Quadrant,
Marc Almond,
Gang of Four,
Terrestrial Tones,
The Techniques,
Stiv Bators,
Crooked Eye,
Sparks,
Yaz,
Sound Behaviour,
Camberwell Now,
Moss Icon, Moss Icon, Moss Icon, Moss Icon.
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.