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 Haiti and from Stockholm.
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 1961 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Salvador.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Nation of Ulysses to the funk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Deepchord. All the underground hits.
All Kurtis Blow tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Surgeon 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Robert Wyatt record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Eli Mardock,
Gil Scott Heron,
Deakin,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Panda Bear,
Reuben Wilson,
Ultimate Spinach,
Skarface,
Bluetip,
Barbara Tucker,
Grauzone,
Alison Limerick,
Mo-Dettes,
Connie Case,
Chris & Cosey,
Pussy Galore,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Sam Rivers,
Mantronix,
The Misunderstood,
Joe Finger,
Funky Four + One,
John Foxx,
Eric B and Rakim,
the Human League,
Mary Jane Girls,
Gregory Isaacs,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Faraquet,
Roger Hodgson,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Mission of Burma,
Roxy Music,
Davy DMX,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Main Source,
Niagra,
Iggy Pop,
Mad Mike,
Alice Coltrane,
Marcia Griffiths,
Public Enemy,
Mark Hollis,
Prince Buster,
Danielle Patucci,
Cal Tjader,
The Music Machine,
Grey Daturas,
The Sonics,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Dead Boys,
E-Dancer,
Tom Boy,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Organ,
Dennis Brown,
Bad Manners,
Beasts of Bourbon,
MC5,
Harmonia,
The Smiths, The Smiths, The Smiths, The Smiths.
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.