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 Zimbabwe and from Manchester.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Philadelphia and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Flesh Eaters to the electroclash 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 Japan. All the underground hits.
All Groovy Waters tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Average White Band record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Joe Finger record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Colin Newman,
Anakelly,
Rod Modell,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Lightning Bolt,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Magazine,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Busters,
The Blues Magoos,
Cameo,
Matthew Bourne,
Main Source,
June Days,
Little Man,
The Pop Group,
New York Dolls,
Crooked Eye,
Sarah Menescal,
The Trojans,
In Retrospect,
The Birthday Party,
Amon Düül II,
Lower 48,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
The Grass Roots,
Average White Band,
Brand Nubian,
Gang Green,
Reuben Wilson,
Gabor Szabo,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Bush Tetras,
The American Breed,
Eric B and Rakim,
Cheater Slicks,
The New Christs,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Stetsasonic,
Charles Mingus,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Peter & Gordon,
Darondo,
Tomorrow,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Panda Bear,
Marcia Griffiths,
Quando Quango,
Eve St. Jones,
Aswad,
The Remains,
Don Cherry,
U.S. Maple,
Lalo Schifrin,
Bronski Beat,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Boogie Down Productions,
Shuggie Otis,
Theoretical Girls,
Bad Manners,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Jandek, Jandek, Jandek, Jandek.
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.