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 Israel and from Philadelphia.
But I was there.
I was there in 1965.
I was there at the first Beefheart show in Lancaster.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Public Enemy to the disco 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 Public Enemy. All the underground hits.
All Tommy Roe tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Grauzone record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Fire Engines record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The J.B.'s,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Howard Jones,
The Star Department,
The United States of America,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Little Man,
Kerri Chandler,
Crispian St. Peters,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Barrington Levy,
Slave,
Black Sheep,
Flash Fearless,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Moleskins,
Eden Ahbez,
Loose Ends,
Flamin' Groovies,
Sex Pistols,
Mandrill,
Deepchord,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Thee Headcoats,
Cameo,
Janne Schatter,
The Durutti Column,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Quadrant,
Eric B and Rakim,
Flipper,
Porter Ricks,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Wolf Eyes,
The Standells,
Au Pairs,
Whodini,
Chris & Cosey,
Minor Threat,
The Tremeloes,
Tommy Roe,
Robert Wyatt,
Gerry Rafferty,
Unwound,
the Sonics,
Fat Boys,
Young Marble Giants,
Subhumans,
Intrusion,
Bang On A Can,
Dead Boys,
The Litter,
Johnny Clarke,
Tom Boy,
The Gladiators,
The Neon Judgement,
Rekid,
The Invisible,
Henry Cow,
Roger Hodgson,
Public Image Ltd.,
Ultravox, Ultravox, Ultravox, Ultravox.
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.