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 Uruguay and from Portland.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the 808 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 In Retrospect to the grime kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Throbbing Gristle. All the underground hits.
All Suicide tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ralphi Rosario record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Johnny Clarke record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cabaret Voltaire,
Adolescents,
Jeff Lynne,
Soft Cell,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Cheater Slicks,
Jerry's Kids,
the Bar-Kays,
Barrington Levy,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Quadrant,
The Fugs,
The Alarm Clocks,
Grauzone,
Popol Vuh,
Flamin' Groovies,
Smog,
L. Decosne,
Amon Düül II,
Peter & Gordon,
Cameo,
In Retrospect,
EPMD,
The Golliwogs,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Clear Light,
Pet Shop Boys,
Electric Prunes,
Bobby Sherman,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Parry Music,
Sarah Menescal,
The J.B.'s,
Bronski Beat,
Hoover,
Iggy Pop,
Index,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Fatback Band,
Los Fastidios,
Eden Ahbez,
The Victims,
Jawbox,
Faraquet,
Mars,
The Motions,
The Star Department,
Dennis Brown,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Dirtbombs,
Maleditus Sound,
Nils Olav,
Schoolly D,
Scratch Acid,
The Gun Club,
Scientists,
Blancmange,
Crime,
Dave Gahan,
Guru Guru,
Alton Ellis,
The Litter, The Litter, The Litter, The Litter.
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.