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 Finland 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 1966 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Archie Shepp to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Au Pairs. All the underground hits.
All Rosa Yemen tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Kerrie Biddell record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Essential Logic record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Wings,
The J.B.'s,
Cymande,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Malaria!,
Patti Smith,
London Community Gospel Choir,
John Coltrane,
Sonny Sharrock,
Loose Ends,
The Durutti Column,
The Stooges,
Severed Heads,
Joe Finger,
Chris Corsano,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Inner City,
The Smoke,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Young Marble Giants,
Camberwell Now,
Chris & Cosey,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Delon & Dalcan,
Spandau Ballet,
Cameo,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Ken Boothe,
Minutemen,
Aloha Tigers,
CMW,
Funky Four + One,
Bush Tetras,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Nils Olav,
Letta Mbulu,
The Fuzztones,
Althea and Donna,
Black Moon,
Porter Ricks,
Skaos,
Sparks,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Kayak,
Moss Icon,
Kaleidoscope,
Stetsasonic,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Sun Ra,
Godley & Creme,
Marmalade,
Drive Like Jehu,
Donny Hathaway,
Thee Headcoats,
8 Eyed Spy,
Ponytail,
Black Flag,
Radiohead,
Roxette,
Harry Pussy,
Gong,
Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield.
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.