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 Chad and from Accra.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 harpsichord 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 Porter Ricks to the rap 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 Mark Hollis. All the underground hits.
All Bang on a Can All-Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every London Community Gospel Choir record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 spring reverb and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Niagra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Alton Ellis,
Royal Trux,
Mark Hollis,
Juan Atkins,
Newcleus,
Ken Boothe,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Derrick Morgan,
Arcadia,
The Invisible,
Boz Scaggs,
Ronan,
Girls At Our Best!,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
OOIOO,
Black Flag,
Pere Ubu,
Dark Day,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Organ,
Barrington Levy,
Second Layer,
X-101,
Pet Shop Boys,
Mad Mike,
AZ,
Roxy Music,
Crooked Eye,
JFA,
Theoretical Girls,
Fat Boys,
Max Romeo,
Loose Ends,
John Cale,
Don Cherry,
Rosa Yemen,
Pantaleimon,
Nico,
Cecil Taylor,
The Offenders,
10cc,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Rakim,
Circle Jerks,
Amazonics,
Outsiders,
Grey Daturas,
These Immortal Souls,
Con Funk Shun,
Heaven 17,
One Last Wish,
Gastr Del Sol,
Black Pus,
Qualms,
Al Stewart,
Subhumans,
Bang On A Can,
Peter & Gordon,
Q and Not U,
Gang Green,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Masters at Work,
Half Japanese,
Cheater Slicks, Cheater Slicks, Cheater Slicks, Cheater Slicks.
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.