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 Brazil and from Columbus.
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 1960 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Lille.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the guitar 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 the Normal to the grime kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Technova. All the underground hits.
All The Black Dice tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bang on a Can All-Stars record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a güiro and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Vainqueur record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Franke,
Chris & Cosey,
Harry Pussy,
Eden Ahbez,
Yusef Lateef,
Pagans,
Severed Heads,
Sex Pistols,
Andrew Hill,
Whodini,
The Barracudas,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Niagra,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Kool Moe Dee,
D'Angelo,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Wake,
The Leaves,
Fad Gadget,
Adolescents,
Bobby Byrd,
Slave,
Isaac Hayes,
Robert Wyatt,
The Modern Lovers,
Soft Machine,
Bang On A Can,
Howard Jones,
Marine Girls,
Minny Pops,
John Foxx,
The Doors,
Eric Dolphy,
The Buckinghams,
Girls At Our Best!,
Moss Icon,
Gang Starr,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Circle Jerks,
Thee Headcoats,
Godley & Creme,
The Human League,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Unrelated Segments,
Drive Like Jehu,
Mad Mike,
Alice Coltrane,
Inner City,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Rakim,
Sexual Harrassment,
Jeru the Damaja,
Eurythmics,
Man Parrish,
The Names,
Stetsasonic,
Albert Ayler,
The Electric Prunes,
These Immortal Souls,
Spoonie Gee,
Jacob Miller, Jacob Miller, Jacob Miller, Jacob Miller.
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.