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 Georgia and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1960 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 sitar 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 Half Japanese to the grunge 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 Flash Fearless. All the underground hits.
All Bang on a Can All-Stars tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Judy Mowatt record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bootsy Collins record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mary Jane Girls,
Swell Maps,
Amon Düül,
Cheater Slicks,
Hashim,
Kurtis Blow,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
U.S. Maple,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Oneida,
Blancmange,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Bush Tetras,
The Fall,
Darondo,
Lalann,
The Trojans,
Reuben Wilson,
Television Personalities,
Lyres,
The Evens,
Eyeless In Gaza,
the Soft Cell,
Dennis Brown,
The Busters,
Tomorrow,
Slick Rick,
Saccharine Trust,
Ossler,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Neu!,
Aloha Tigers,
The Zeros,
D'Angelo,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Radiopuhelimet,
Sonny Sharrock,
The Pop Group,
Chris Corsano,
Gang Gang Dance,
Patti Smith,
Mad Mike,
Sam Rivers,
The Knickerbockers,
Soulsonic Force,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Fat Boys,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
K-Klass,
Soul II Soul,
Eve St. Jones,
Dead Boys,
Tom Boy,
Gichy Dan,
Michelle Simonal,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
Lucky Dragons,
Cameo,
Whodini,
Skaos,
Eric B and Rakim,
Gang Starr, Gang Starr, Gang Starr, Gang Starr.
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.