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 South Sudan and from Woodstock.
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 1966 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Delhi.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the sitar 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 United States of America to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Lonnie Liston Smith. All the underground hits.
All Bobby Womack tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Trojans record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz 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 theremin and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Techniques record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cal Tjader,
Maurizio,
Robert Görl,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Albert Ayler,
Deadbeat,
Guru Guru,
Faraquet,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Kayak,
JFA,
The Standells,
The Durutti Column,
Flash Fearless,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Cabaret Voltaire,
The Blackbyrds,
Fluxion,
MDC,
Gong,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Amon Düül,
Jawbox,
Radiopuhelimet,
the Soft Cell,
Alton Ellis,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Electric Prunes,
Joyce Sims,
Tom Boy,
Ornette Coleman,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
E-Dancer,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Fugs,
Scott Walker,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Peter and Kerry,
Malaria!,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
The Pop Group,
the Sonics,
Panda Bear,
Amon Düül II,
Delta 5,
Matthew Halsall,
Boredoms,
Jandek,
Wally Richardson,
Scan 7,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
The Doors,
The Young Rascals,
Half Japanese,
Harpers Bizarre,
Index,
Los Fastidios,
The Names,
Dorothy Ashby,
Metal Thangz,
Sam Rivers, Sam Rivers, Sam Rivers, Sam Rivers.
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.