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 Bahamas and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1963 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Brothers Johnson to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon. All the underground hits.
All X-101 tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ludus 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Brothers Johnson record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Mummies,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Icehouse,
Ice-T,
The Neon Judgement,
Terrestrial Tones,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
James White and The Blacks,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Jeru the Damaja,
Leonard Cohen,
Eve St. Jones,
Parry Music,
Reagan Youth,
Letta Mbulu,
Matthew Bourne,
The Cowsills,
Mandrill,
Index,
Groovy Waters,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Boogie Down Productions,
Altered Images,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Swans,
Livin' Joy,
The Blues Magoos,
Cal Tjader,
Girls At Our Best!,
Yusef Lateef,
10cc,
Kevin Saunderson,
Robert Hood,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
The Young Rascals,
The Star Department,
Eric Copeland,
Mission of Burma,
Mantronix,
K-Klass,
The Human League,
Bush Tetras,
Mars,
Television Personalities,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Marine Girls,
Amon Düül II,
Minnie Riperton,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Moby Grape,
Bang On A Can,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Hot Snakes,
Oblivians,
Sun Ra,
Banda Bassotti,
Whodini,
Freddie Wadling,
Eddi Front, Eddi Front, Eddi Front, Eddi Front.
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.