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 East Timor and from Seoul.
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 1960 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Winnipeg and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Fifty Foot Hose to the disco 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 Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane. All the underground hits.
All Boogie Down Productions tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Janne Schatter record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Soft Machine record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Monolake,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Bauhaus,
the Slits,
Alice Coltrane,
Monks,
Absolute Body Control,
Nik Kershaw,
Harry Pussy,
Rod Modell,
Bill Near,
The J.B.'s,
New York Dolls,
Delon & Dalcan,
Dawn Penn,
Flamin' Groovies,
Fat Boys,
Freddie Wadling,
Frankie Knuckles,
The Offenders,
Jeff Mills,
Agitation Free,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Clear Light,
Gong,
Crispy Ambulance,
Echospace,
The Gun Club,
Hoover,
Crooked Eye,
Suburban Knight,
Amon Düül,
Lower 48,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Robert Wyatt,
Pharoah Sanders,
Ornette Coleman,
Au Pairs,
UT,
T.S.O.L.,
Agent Orange,
Khruangbin,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Little Man,
Accadde A,
DJ Sneak,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Franke,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
The Blues Magoos,
Jeru the Damaja,
Gil Scott Heron,
Jacob Miller,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Vogues,
Donny Hathaway,
Lucky Dragons,
Janne Schatter,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Minny Pops,
The Moody Blues,
Marc Almond, Marc Almond, Marc Almond, Marc Almond.
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.