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 Latvia and from Tokyo.
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 1962 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Taipei and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the theremin 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 Suburban Knight to the grime kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 The Residents. All the underground hits.
All Liaisons Dangereuses tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Joy Division record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 synthesizer and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ralphi Rosario 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?
The Young Rascals,
Matthew Bourne,
Khruangbin,
The Fortunes,
Erykah Badu,
Chris & Cosey,
Tears for Fears,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Marmalade,
Reagan Youth,
The Golliwogs,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Litter,
Joy Division,
Janne Schatter,
Andrew Hill,
The Monks,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Lower 48,
Sandy B,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Agent Orange,
Excepter,
Joyce Sims,
The Walker Brothers,
The Cramps,
Country Teasers,
Electric Prunes,
Eddi Front,
The Black Dice,
Parry Music,
Graham Central Station,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Move,
Desert Stars,
Bush Tetras,
Pylon,
Grauzone,
Ultimate Spinach,
Juan Atkins,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
F. McDonald,
X-101,
Duran Duran,
Don Cherry,
David Axelrod,
Whodini,
Buzzcocks,
Mary Jane Girls,
Cymande,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Slackers,
JFA,
Peter & Gordon,
Wings,
Kenny Larkin,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Alton Ellis,
The Cowsills,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Bauhaus,
Jandek,
Cluster,
The Smiths,
Fela Kuti, Fela Kuti, Fela Kuti, Fela Kuti.
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.