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 Papua New Guinea and from London.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Neu! show in Düsseldorf.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and Lyon.
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 1983 at the first Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Bootsy Collins to the grime 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 Scion. All the underground hits.
All One Last Wish tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ultra Naté record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Art Ensemble Of Chicago record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Names,
Ossler,
the Soft Cell,
June of 44,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Marmalade,
Lindisfarne,
Scratch Acid,
Crispian St. Peters,
Susan Cadogan,
The Modern Lovers,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Jimmy McGriff,
The Blackbyrds,
Kas Product,
Tim Buckley,
The Doors,
Reagan Youth,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Godley & Creme,
Sexual Harrassment,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Dorothy Ashby,
Ralphi Rosario,
Cluster,
The Invisible,
The Fugs,
Leonard Cohen,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Sun City Girls,
Bauhaus,
The Fall,
Technova,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Scott Walker,
The Beau Brummels,
Eric B and Rakim,
Kevin Saunderson,
Sonic Youth,
Cal Tjader,
cv313,
The Happenings,
The Slits,
Essential Logic,
OOIOO,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Ken Boothe,
Lakeside,
Jeru the Damaja,
Pantaleimon,
Brothers Johnson,
Yazoo,
Harpers Bizarre,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Nas,
Alison Limerick,
Kenny Larkin,
Aloha Tigers,
Mission of Burma,
Flamin' Groovies,
Index,
Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru.
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.