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 Dominica and from Portland.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Holger Czukay 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 Bad Manners to the rock 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 China Crisis. All the underground hits.
All Mark Hollis tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Youth Brigade 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 '70s.
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 Donny Hathaway record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Blues Magoos,
The Gladiators,
DNA,
Althea and Donna,
cv313,
Faraquet,
Clear Light,
John Foxx,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Cheater Slicks,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Zapp,
The Sonics,
Urselle,
Soulsonic Force,
Avey Tare,
Nico,
Chris & Cosey,
The Fuzztones,
Ronnie Foster,
Ralphi Rosario,
The Martian,
Patti Smith,
Fat Boys,
Section 25,
Wire,
Pulsallama,
Robert Görl,
Erykah Badu,
Prince Buster,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Five Americans,
Magazine,
The Pop Group,
Pharoah Sanders,
The Walker Brothers,
Excepter,
Stetsasonic,
Eli Mardock,
Skaos,
Sexual Harrassment,
The Golliwogs,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Tomorrow,
Blancmange,
Buzzcocks,
Marcia Griffiths,
Jeff Mills,
R.M.O.,
E-Dancer,
Vainqueur,
Pet Shop Boys,
The Velvet Underground,
Judy Mowatt,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Stiv Bators,
Dorothy Ashby,
Deakin,
Tom Boy,
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.