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 Swaziland and from Johannesburg.
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 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Spokane and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Calgary 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Goldenarms to the rap 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 Moss Icon. All the underground hits.
All Drive Like Jehu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every EPMD record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Flesh Eaters record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
the Normal,
Pagans,
Donald Byrd,
Mars,
Grey Daturas,
Ultra Naté,
Agent Orange,
Jawbox,
Minnie Riperton,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Wolf Eyes,
The Human League,
UT,
Aaron Thompson,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Roy Ayers,
Wings,
Blancmange,
Traffic Nightmare,
Black Sheep,
Ken Boothe,
The Golliwogs,
Animal Collective,
Lucky Dragons,
Sonic Youth,
Pole,
Laurel Aitken,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
La Düsseldorf,
Alison Limerick,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Tropical Tobacco,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Raincoats,
Lyres,
Clear Light,
Sexual Harrassment,
Black Bananas,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Fela Kuti,
The Selecter,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Alice Coltrane,
Jeru the Damaja,
the Swans,
Deakin,
Black Moon,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Zapp,
Mo-Dettes,
Pussy Galore,
Chris & Cosey,
Soft Machine,
Cluster,
Alton Ellis,
Dawn Penn,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Sällskapet,
Loose Ends,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Black Pus, Black Pus, Black Pus, Black Pus.
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.