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 Iran and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band to the rap kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Cal Tjader. All the underground hits.
All Sad Lovers and Giants tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Siouxsie and the Banshees 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Wells 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?
Qualms,
Bill Near,
Angry Samoans,
Pharoah Sanders,
Smog,
Kaleidoscope,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Fat Boys,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Soft Cell,
Max Romeo,
Harmonia,
Dark Day,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Blancmange,
The Shadows of Knight,
The Evens,
Lindisfarne,
Nils Olav,
Kerrie Biddell,
Patti Smith,
Eric Dolphy,
Kayak,
The Smiths,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Ultimate Spinach,
Niagra,
Joensuu 1685,
A Certain Ratio,
The Music Machine,
Minor Threat,
Dual Sessions,
The Mummies,
Japan,
Basic Channel,
Sun City Girls,
This Heat,
Rakim,
Idris Muhammad,
Black Flag,
Hoover,
Aural Exciters,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Sexual Harrassment,
Circle Jerks,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Victims,
The Birthday Party,
Barbara Tucker,
the Swans,
Rotary Connection,
Aaron Thompson,
Laurel Aitken,
Henry Cow,
Lucky Dragons,
Zapp,
Morten Harket,
Gabor Szabo, Gabor Szabo, Gabor Szabo, Gabor Szabo.
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.