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 Kuwait and from Johannesburg.
But I was there.
I was there in 2001.
I was there at the first Tiga show in Montreal.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1976 at the first Wire practice in a loft in Watford.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Tremeloes to the rock 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 Tropical Tobacco. All the underground hits.
All Matthew Bourne tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Brick record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Gladiators record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sugar Minott,
Bluetip,
The United States of America,
Stetsasonic,
Urselle,
Nick Fraelich,
Mad Mike,
The Kinks,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Outsiders,
Patti Smith,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
LL Cool J,
The Gap Band,
Brothers Johnson,
A Certain Ratio,
the Sonics,
Gerry Rafferty,
June of 44,
Ossler,
Kenny Larkin,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Soulsonic Force,
Sonic Youth,
Fatback Band,
Desert Stars,
B.T. Express,
Pole,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Terry Callier,
Crime,
Josef K,
Gabor Szabo,
Prince Buster,
Siglo XX,
Terrestrial Tones,
The Dirtbombs,
The Monochrome Set,
Eddi Front,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Cymande,
Oblivians,
Guru Guru,
the Swans,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Delon & Dalcan,
Drexciya,
Livin' Joy,
Barrington Levy,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Blake Baxter,
the Germs,
Matthew Halsall,
Fat Boys,
Radio Birdman,
Banda Bassotti,
The Slits,
Eli Mardock,
Grey Daturas,
the Fania All-Stars,
Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne.
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.