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 Albania and from Glasgow.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1967 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Cameo to the rock kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Althea and Donna. All the underground hits.
All Aswad tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Trojans 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a linndrum and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jacob Miller record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Terry Callier,
Iggy Pop,
Rekid,
The Gladiators,
Skaos,
David Bowie,
Flamin' Groovies,
Marcia Griffiths,
La Düsseldorf,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
The Dave Clark Five,
Piero Umiliani,
Eurythmics,
Ronan,
Make Up,
The Moleskins,
Procol Harum,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Neon Judgement,
Moss Icon,
Amon Düül,
Los Fastidios,
Suburban Knight,
a-ha,
Brick,
Jeff Lynne,
Desert Stars,
Little Man,
Sandy B,
Susan Cadogan,
Boz Scaggs,
The Fall,
E-Dancer,
The Motions,
The Velvet Underground,
Organ,
Laurel Aitken,
The Leaves,
Slick Rick,
The Detroit Cobras,
Bobby Byrd,
Boredoms,
The Pop Group,
Jandek,
Youth Brigade,
Stereo Dub,
X-102,
Babytalk,
Jacques Brel,
Pussy Galore,
the Germs,
Scratch Acid,
Ten City,
Funky Four + One,
Robert Hood,
Ultimate Spinach,
Kayak,
Parry Music,
Alton Ellis,
The Martian,
Marine Girls, Marine Girls, Marine Girls, Marine Girls.
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.