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 Sweden and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1963 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Flesh Eaters to the grunge 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 Terry Callier. All the underground hits.
All Zapp tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Vogues 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Patti Smith record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Hasil Adkins,
Rekid,
The Techniques,
Depeche Mode,
Angry Samoans,
UT,
Jeff Mills,
Pagans,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
ABBA,
Zero Boys,
Dennis Brown,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Josef K,
Eden Ahbez,
10cc,
Technova,
Faraquet,
The Gap Band,
The Stooges,
Jacob Miller,
The Grass Roots,
Public Enemy,
Subhumans,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Anakelly,
Popol Vuh,
Ronan,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Gil Scott Heron,
the Slits,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The Star Department,
The Martian,
Absolute Body Control,
Michelle Simonal,
Nas,
Unrelated Segments,
the Normal,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Eyeless In Gaza,
The Cure,
Gang Green,
Ponytail,
Girls At Our Best!,
Qualms,
Delta 5,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Derrick Morgan,
Barry Ungar,
the Bar-Kays,
Cymande,
Soul II Soul,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Black Flag,
Simply Red,
Chris & Cosey,
Bizarre Inc.,
Ludus,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth, Joe Smooth.
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.