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 Malawi and from Philadelphia.
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 1962 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Edmonton.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Tres Demented to the rock kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Glenn Branca. All the underground hits.
All Malaria! tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Angry Samoans record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Eric Dolphy record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Offenders,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Joyce Sims,
The Litter,
Charles Mingus,
Eric Dolphy,
Brand Nubian,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Gabor Szabo,
China Crisis,
Alton Ellis,
ABC,
Anakelly,
Dennis Brown,
Metal Thangz,
Eve St. Jones,
Jesper Dahlback,
The Associates,
Prince Buster,
Model 500,
Jawbox,
Gerry Rafferty,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Patti Smith,
Audionom,
Aswad,
Gil Scott Heron,
Danielle Patucci,
The Alarm Clocks,
Cluster,
Juan Atkins,
Terrestrial Tones,
The Barracudas,
Los Fastidios,
Fela Kuti,
Maurizio,
Fad Gadget,
Tears for Fears,
Khruangbin,
The Divine Comedy,
Kas Product,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Throbbing Gristle,
June of 44,
Sixth Finger,
The New Christs,
Television Personalities,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Rufus Thomas,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Ituana,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Kool Moe Dee,
Wasted Youth,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Malaria!,
Boogie Down Productions,
Minor Threat,
Goldenarms,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Avey Tare,
John Cale,
Negative Approach, Negative Approach, Negative Approach, Negative Approach.
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.