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 Nicaragua and from Lagos.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lyon and Mumbai.
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 1965 at the first Beefheart practice in a loft in Lancaster.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Lalo Schifrin to the disco kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. All the underground hits.
All Marshall Jefferson tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Depeche Mode 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Monks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Charles Mingus,
Livin' Joy,
Chrome,
Niagra,
Radiohead,
MDC,
Swans,
Soft Machine,
The Blackbyrds,
Flipper,
Trumans Water,
Kerrie Biddell,
MC5,
The Raincoats,
Tim Buckley,
Josef K,
Eric Dolphy,
Eric Copeland,
Lalann,
ABC,
Bob Dylan,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The J.B.'s,
The Toasters,
the Association,
Grey Daturas,
Darondo,
Ohio Players,
Banda Bassotti,
Black Bananas,
Delta 5,
Kevin Saunderson,
Jacques Brel,
The Cramps,
Sarah Menescal,
Bill Near,
Siglo XX,
Chris & Cosey,
Schoolly D,
Sun Ra,
Parry Music,
Nirvana,
Barbara Tucker,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Gastr Del Sol,
Patti Smith,
Los Fastidios,
Liliput,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Tomorrow,
Joensuu 1685,
Dark Day,
Juan Atkins,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Erykah Badu,
Outsiders,
Harmonia,
FM Einheit,
Clear Light,
Joe Smooth,
Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants, Young Marble Giants.
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.