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 Belgium and from Delhi.
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 1963 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the theremin 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 Negative Approach to the disco 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 Bill Near. All the underground hits.
All Babytalk tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lungfish 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 a clarinet and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Faust record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Dead C,
OOIOO,
The Offenders,
Dawn Penn,
The Toasters,
Scrapy,
Pet Shop Boys,
The Birthday Party,
Johnny Clarke,
Wally Richardson,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Eric B and Rakim,
Crispian St. Peters,
Arcadia,
Metal Thangz,
Jandek,
Quantec,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Joe Finger,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Blues Magoos,
Bobbi Humphrey,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Barracudas,
Tropical Tobacco,
Jimmy McGriff,
Whodini,
Joyce Sims,
Blake Baxter,
Bauhaus,
Franke,
Monks,
Ralphi Rosario,
Warren Ellis,
Roy Ayers,
Harpers Bizarre,
Bob Dylan,
Crooked Eye,
The Fortunes,
Little Man,
Blancmange,
The Fall,
Quadrant,
Ludus,
Ornette Coleman,
Main Source,
Yazoo,
Organ,
Wings,
The Skatalites,
Grauzone,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
The Mojo Men,
Fugazi,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Amon Düül II,
Fela Kuti,
Ossler,
Grey Daturas,
The Selecter,
Blossom Toes,
Scan 7, Scan 7, Scan 7, Scan 7.
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.