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 Albania and from Winnipeg.
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 1961 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Tehran 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 Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the organ 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 Rahsaan Roland Kirk to the rock kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Althea and Donna. All the underground hits.
All Sun Ra Arkestra tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Marshall Jefferson 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Qualms record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Kaleidoscope,
Kerri Chandler,
Camberwell Now,
Bang On A Can,
Black Bananas,
Radiohead,
The Young Rascals,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Eli Mardock,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Ultravox,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Television Personalities,
The Detroit Cobras,
Skriet,
The Happenings,
Fugazi,
B.T. Express,
ABBA,
Gregory Isaacs,
Terry Callier,
The Toasters,
Kurtis Blow,
Pet Shop Boys,
Hashim,
Nik Kershaw,
Stetsasonic,
Lungfish,
Junior Murvin,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
K-Klass,
Dead Boys,
World's Most,
Delon & Dalcan,
The Count Five,
Bobby Womack,
the Bar-Kays,
The Fall,
John Cale,
Accadde A,
MC5,
Deadbeat,
Matthew Bourne,
Parry Music,
Cybotron,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Spoonie Gee,
Mary Jane Girls,
DJ Sneak,
Lou Christie,
John Coltrane,
Dark Day,
Amon Düül,
The Flesh Eaters,
Sällskapet,
Barclay James Harvest,
Patti Smith,
Au Pairs,
The Litter,
Mr. Review,
Clear Light, Clear Light, Clear Light, Clear Light.
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.