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 Chile and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1969 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 guitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 The Young Rascals to the funk 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 Lalann. All the underground hits.
All Tim Buckley tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Pus record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Colin Newman record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
the Germs,
Matthew Halsall,
Boogie Down Productions,
Television Personalities,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Con Funk Shun,
The New Christs,
Spoonie Gee,
Outsiders,
The Durutti Column,
The Toasters,
Blossom Toes,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Byron Stingily,
Eurythmics,
Deadbeat,
The Tremeloes,
In Retrospect,
Dual Sessions,
Unrelated Segments,
Circle Jerks,
Drexciya,
The Zeros,
8 Eyed Spy,
Ponytail,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Frankie Knuckles,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Zero Boys,
Minor Threat,
The Golliwogs,
Arab on Radar,
The Detroit Cobras,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Adolescents,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Franke,
The Remains,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Half Japanese,
Nirvana,
Tres Demented,
Marcia Griffiths,
Donny Hathaway,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
DJ Sneak,
Traffic Nightmare,
John Lydon,
The Doors,
Chris & Cosey,
Gabor Szabo,
Pulsallama,
Tomorrow,
Joe Smooth,
The Smoke,
Eden Ahbez,
The Selecter,
Rotary Connection,
The Music Machine,
Davy DMX, Davy DMX, Davy DMX, Davy DMX.
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.