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 Brazil and from Toronto.
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 1965 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Seoul.
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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Ralphi Rosario to the rock 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 Joyce Sims. All the underground hits.
All Circle Jerks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Selector Dub Narcotic 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 mellotron and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jandek record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Althea and Donna,
Swell Maps,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Radiohead,
Sparks,
Eurythmics,
The Mojo Men,
Hardrive,
Underground Resistance,
Unwound,
World's Most,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Terry Callier,
Babytalk,
Wire,
The Doors,
Darondo,
Kerri Chandler,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Pet Shop Boys,
Fad Gadget,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Morten Harket,
the Fania All-Stars,
Rites of Spring,
Jacob Miller,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Jawbox,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Bauhaus,
Eden Ahbez,
Brothers Johnson,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Quantec,
Groovy Waters,
The Gap Band,
Kaleidoscope,
Cymande,
Todd Terry,
Donny Hathaway,
Black Flag,
Yaz,
The United States of America,
Desert Stars,
Joe Smooth,
Johnny Clarke,
Amon Düül II,
JFA,
Archie Shepp,
Prince Buster,
Bluetip,
Kerrie Biddell,
Jimmy McGriff,
Lyres,
The Young Rascals,
Easy Going,
Das Ding,
Harpers Bizarre,
Agitation Free,
Siouxsie and the Banshees,
Blake Baxter,
MC5,
Ultra Naté,
Isaac Hayes,
John Lydon, John Lydon, John Lydon, John Lydon.
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.