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 Netherlands and from Spokane.
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 1963 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and London.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Stockholm 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Jerry Gold Smith to the disco kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 These Immortal Souls. All the underground hits.
All Roy Ayers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Vladislav Delay 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 a clarinet and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bronski Beat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Steve Hackett,
Outsiders,
Crooked Eye,
Joyce Sims,
Johnny Osbourne,
X-101,
Kenny Larkin,
The Remains,
Organ,
The Mighty Diamonds,
June of 44,
Scott Walker,
Kaleidoscope,
Kool Moe Dee,
Charles Mingus,
KRS-One,
Jandek,
Funky Four + One,
The Knickerbockers,
David Bowie,
Make Up,
DNA,
Maurizio,
Barbara Tucker,
Gichy Dan,
Anthony Braxton,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Loose Ends,
The Flesh Eaters,
Stockholm Monsters,
Cheater Slicks,
cv313,
Mark Hollis,
The Young Rascals,
Fatback Band,
Jawbox,
Bobby Sherman,
Youth Brigade,
U.S. Maple,
The Happenings,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Spoonie Gee,
Idris Muhammad,
The Monochrome Set,
Eyeless In Gaza,
The J.B.'s,
Lightning Bolt,
R.M.O.,
Byron Stingily,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Susan Cadogan,
Frankie Knuckles,
John Lydon,
ABC,
Pierre Henry,
Bill Wells,
The Mojo Men,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
New Age Steppers,
Ronnie Foster,
Harry Pussy,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Quando Quango,
Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu, Drive Like Jehu.
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.