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 Yemen and from Halifax.
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 1960 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Divine Comedy to the grime 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 Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. All the underground hits.
All Hot Snakes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Qualms 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 '90s.
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 Jeff Mills record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Throbbing Gristle,
Minutemen,
Half Japanese,
Franke,
Black Bananas,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Darondo,
Soul Sonic Force,
Steve Hackett,
Moss Icon,
Fifty Foot Hose,
The J.B.'s,
Thompson Twins,
Patti Smith,
Kaleidoscope,
Stetsasonic,
Von Mondo,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Malaria!,
Bad Manners,
Sonic Youth,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Electric Prunes,
June of 44,
Faraquet,
The Doobie Brothers,
Harmonia,
Robert Wyatt,
Ohio Players,
Soul II Soul,
Sällskapet,
The Evens,
Icehouse,
Groovy Waters,
Nico,
The Remains,
Gil Scott Heron,
Tres Demented,
Kerri Chandler,
Youth Brigade,
Wally Richardson,
Joyce Sims,
Can,
John Holt,
David Bowie,
Chrome,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Television Personalities,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Don Cherry,
James White and The Blacks,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Bill Wells,
Sam Rivers,
Jacques Brel,
Ronnie Foster,
Todd Terry,
The Cramps,
Young Marble Giants,
CMW,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Sun Ra,
Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu.
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.