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 Sweden and from New York.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Manila.
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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Terry Callier to the rap kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Soft Machine. All the underground hits.
All Scratch Acid tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ultramagnetic MC's record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Youth Brigade record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gregory Isaacs,
Basic Channel,
Lower 48,
Ludus,
The Fire Engines,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Spandau Ballet,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Bootsy Collins,
Metal Thangz,
Judy Mowatt,
Radio Birdman,
The Detroit Cobras,
Nik Kershaw,
The Trojans,
Mr. Review,
Gabor Szabo,
Ralphi Rosario,
CMW,
Faust,
Letta Mbulu,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Essential Logic,
Bronski Beat,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Stiv Bators,
The Offenders,
The Remains,
Masters at Work,
Average White Band,
Fugazi,
Black Sheep,
Parry Music,
Skarface,
Zero Boys,
Ornette Coleman,
Bang On A Can,
The Real Kids,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Walker Brothers,
Alice Coltrane,
Vladislav Delay,
Loose Ends,
Cecil Taylor,
Shuggie Otis,
The Last Poets,
John Coltrane,
Mantronix,
Wally Richardson,
Man Parrish,
Stetsasonic,
Crispian St. Peters,
Moebius,
Fad Gadget,
Joensuu 1685,
Patti Smith,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Talk Talk,
Bill Wells, Bill Wells, Bill Wells, Bill Wells.
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.