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 Tajikistan and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Soft Boys show in Cambridge.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Shanghai.
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 clarinet 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 Shuggie Otis to the techno kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Joy Division. All the underground hits.
All Hardrive tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every It's A Beautiful Day record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Misunderstood record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mark Hollis,
Bobby Byrd,
Kool Moe Dee,
The Slits,
Rosa Yemen,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Electric Prunes,
T. Rex,
Jawbox,
The Barracudas,
Depeche Mode,
Yaz,
Radio Birdman,
Brass Construction,
Parry Music,
Moby Grape,
Fluxion,
Basic Channel,
Bobby Sherman,
Second Layer,
UT,
the Sonics,
B.T. Express,
The Index,
John Coltrane,
Essential Logic,
Altered Images,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The Selecter,
Babytalk,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Neu!,
Urselle,
48th St. Collective,
Black Flag,
Fad Gadget,
Joey Negro,
Scott Walker,
Niagra,
Kerri Chandler,
Heaven 17,
Soul Sonic Force,
ABBA,
Nation of Ulysses,
Masters at Work,
The Leaves,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Ituana,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Little Man,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Gichy Dan,
Mary Jane Girls,
Althea and Donna,
Pierre Henry,
One Last Wish,
Spoonie Gee,
Tommy Roe,
Circle Jerks,
Peter and Kerry,
Nils Olav, Nils Olav, Nils Olav, Nils Olav.
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.