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 Dominican Republic and from Stockholm.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in New York and Lyon.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 organ 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 Stetsasonic to the techno kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Grauzone. All the underground hits.
All Stetsasonic tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Pretty Things 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Colin Newman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Adolescents,
Spandau Ballet,
Todd Rundgren,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Au Pairs,
The Beau Brummels,
Tommy Roe,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Dawn Penn,
These Immortal Souls,
Marc Almond,
Camberwell Now,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Deadbeat,
Q and Not U,
Reuben Wilson,
Funky Four + One,
Sexual Harrassment,
Brick,
Roxy Music,
Juan Atkins,
Warren Ellis,
Graham Central Station,
Hasil Adkins,
Laurel Aitken,
Grauzone,
Interpol,
The Music Machine,
JFA,
AZ,
Newcleus,
Pagans,
Tropical Tobacco,
Nick Fraelich,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Spoonie Gee,
the Bar-Kays,
Ken Boothe,
The Residents,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Al Stewart,
Rekid,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Neil Young,
Nation of Ulysses,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Minnie Riperton,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Skaos,
Buzzcocks,
The Fall,
Sandy B,
The Mojo Men,
Stereo Dub,
Monolake,
The J.B.'s,
Rhythm & Sound,
ABC,
Electric Prunes,
Fela Kuti,
the Normal,
Lou Reed,
L. Decosne,
Gang Starr,
DJ Sneak, DJ Sneak, DJ Sneak, DJ Sneak.
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.