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 Kenya and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1969 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Hong Kong.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Edmonton 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 Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the mellotron 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 Aaron Thompson to the grunge 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 Ronan. All the underground hits.
All Pet Shop Boys tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Todd Terry record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 linndrum and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Pantytec record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
D'Angelo,
Rapeman,
UT,
Mantronix,
Iggy Pop,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Derrick May,
T.S.O.L.,
Con Funk Shun,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Popol Vuh,
The Techniques,
Funkadelic,
Jeru the Damaja,
Dual Sessions,
Parry Music,
The Doors,
Alison Limerick,
Charles Mingus,
the Swans,
The Searchers,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Toasters,
Ludus,
The United States of America,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Spandau Ballet,
Dorothy Ashby,
Rites of Spring,
Chris & Cosey,
Judy Mowatt,
The Associates,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Arcadia,
Robert Görl,
Crime,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Pharoah Sanders,
Ash Ra Tempel,
KRS-One,
Mary Jane Girls,
The Fuzztones,
the Soft Cell,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Graham Central Station,
Urselle,
Sun Ra,
Girls At Our Best!,
Agitation Free,
Idris Muhammad,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Swans,
Sun City Girls,
The Count Five,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Amazonics,
Boogie Down Productions,
June Days,
Eurythmics,
Flamin' Groovies,
Oblivians, Oblivians, Oblivians, Oblivians.
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.