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 Chile and from Shanghai.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and New York.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Nils Olav to the grunge 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 Marvin Gaye. All the underground hits.
All Connie Case tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Residents record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Adolescents record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Jacques Brel,
Skarface,
Thompson Twins,
Pet Shop Boys,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Pop Group,
Eden Ahbez,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Amon Düül II,
Boogie Down Productions,
Saccharine Trust,
Suicide,
Pagans,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Girls At Our Best!,
Pere Ubu,
Talk Talk,
Danielle Patucci,
Fugazi,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Ultra Naté,
L. Decosne,
Lou Christie,
Pole,
Marmalade,
Subhumans,
the Slits,
David McCallum,
John Lydon,
Scott Walker,
Joe Smooth,
AZ,
The Trojans,
the Fania All-Stars,
New Age Steppers,
FM Einheit,
Black Sheep,
Erasure,
Flash Fearless,
Liliput,
Barclay James Harvest,
David Axelrod,
The Beau Brummels,
Country Teasers,
Qualms,
Severed Heads,
Josef K,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Darondo,
Matthew Bourne,
Quadrant,
Roger Hodgson,
Sällskapet,
Public Enemy,
Charles Mingus,
Wings,
Bauhaus,
Circle Jerks,
Dark Day,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Laurel Aitken, Laurel Aitken, Laurel Aitken, Laurel Aitken.
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.