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 Egypt and from Johannesburg.
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 1964 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the oboe 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 John Cale to the rap kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Ice-T. All the underground hits.
All Reuben Wilson tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Thompson Twins record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rahsaan Roland Kirk record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Toasters,
The Pop Group,
Juan Atkins,
Urselle,
A Certain Ratio,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Kevin Saunderson,
Livin' Joy,
Sixth Finger,
Junior Murvin,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Golliwogs,
The Cramps,
Dark Day,
Blancmange,
10cc,
Deakin,
Lightning Bolt,
Bluetip,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Minnie Riperton,
Todd Terry,
The New Christs,
Rod Modell,
a-ha,
Barbara Tucker,
Organ,
Donald Byrd,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Brick,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Oblivians,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Country Teasers,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Jeff Mills,
Eve St. Jones,
Circle Jerks,
Camberwell Now,
Ice-T,
Electric Light Orchestra,
World's Most,
JFA,
Cluster,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
The Tremeloes,
Talk Talk,
the Human League,
Pagans,
The Beau Brummels,
Rekid,
Section 25,
Blake Baxter,
E-Dancer,
Buzzcocks,
Absolute Body Control,
The Grass Roots,
Johnny Osbourne,
Japan,
Mark Hollis, Mark Hollis, Mark Hollis, Mark Hollis.
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.