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 Brazil and from Cairo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1962 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish 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 Oneida. All the underground hits.
All Colin Newman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Judy Mowatt 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a It's A Beautiful Day record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Offenders,
The Misunderstood,
Tommy Roe,
Newcleus,
The New Christs,
Matthew Bourne,
The Durutti Column,
Graham Central Station,
The Techniques,
The Detroit Cobras,
Nick Fraelich,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Desert Stars,
Brand Nubian,
The Busters,
The Remains,
Aswad,
Boz Scaggs,
Wasted Youth,
Todd Terry,
Tropical Tobacco,
The Golliwogs,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Pussy Galore,
The Stooges,
Sixth Finger,
Fad Gadget,
Connie Case,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
ABBA,
Barrington Levy,
Laurel Aitken,
H. Thieme,
Minor Threat,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Boredoms,
Maurizio,
The Neon Judgement,
Albert Ayler,
Junior Murvin,
Aural Exciters,
Organ,
Parry Music,
Harpers Bizarre,
The Fortunes,
X-Ray Spex,
Nik Kershaw,
Goldenarms,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Make Up,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
The Music Machine,
Spandau Ballet,
The Dead C,
These Immortal Souls,
Danielle Patucci,
Bronski Beat,
The American Breed,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Cecil Taylor,
The Grass Roots, The Grass Roots, The Grass Roots, The Grass Roots.
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.