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 Kuwait and from London.
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 1966 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in London and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Salvador 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 Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Tres Demented to the grunge kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Crispy Ambulance. All the underground hits.
All Y Pants tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Five Americans record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a James Chance & The Contortions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Visage,
Alphaville,
Underground Resistance,
Animal Collective,
Stereo Dub,
Kerri Chandler,
The Smiths,
Radiohead,
Freddie Wadling,
the Human League,
Spoonie Gee,
Ituana,
The Dirtbombs,
Ultra Naté,
Scratch Acid,
Ornette Coleman,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Goldenarms,
X-Ray Spex,
Vladislav Delay,
Grauzone,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Offenders,
Derrick May,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Henry Cow,
Mantronix,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Main Source,
The Star Department,
Livin' Joy,
Roxy Music,
Jimmy McGriff,
Essential Logic,
Alice Coltrane,
Pet Shop Boys,
Chris Corsano,
Morten Harket,
the Association,
Byron Stingily,
Agent Orange,
Quantec,
Zero Boys,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Roger Hodgson,
Sarah Menescal,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Boredoms,
Derrick Morgan,
Kevin Saunderson,
Nik Kershaw,
Steve Hackett,
The Martian,
The Raincoats,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
X-102,
John Holt,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Joe Finger,
Man Parrish,
Amon Düül,
Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren, Todd Rundgren.
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.