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 Uganda and from Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Big Star show in Memphis.
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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Tokyo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Bill Near to the funk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Adolescents. All the underground hits.
All Ludus tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Slits record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 organ and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Birthday Party record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Sex Pistols,
Average White Band,
James White and The Blacks,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
H. Thieme,
Arthur Verocai,
Boredoms,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Eric Dolphy,
Joe Finger,
Harry Pussy,
Pantytec,
Gong,
Marine Girls,
Grey Daturas,
Panda Bear,
The Mummies,
Crime,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
the Sonics,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Josef K,
Skaos,
the Association,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
The New Christs,
The Searchers,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
The Fortunes,
Marcia Griffiths,
Jandek,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Man Eating Sloth,
Can,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Donny Hathaway,
Metal Thangz,
48th St. Collective,
The Techniques,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Thompson Twins,
FM Einheit,
Arab on Radar,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Hardrive,
Outsiders,
Vainqueur,
Delta 5,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Flamin' Groovies,
Surgeon,
Matthew Halsall,
Robert Hood,
Stockholm Monsters,
Godley & Creme,
Pussy Galore,
Roy Ayers,
The Gun Club,
The Monochrome Set,
Young Marble Giants,
Todd Rundgren,
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.