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 Tajikistan and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Second Layer show in South London.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Stockholm.
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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Inner City to the rap 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 Bronski Beat. All the underground hits.
All Vladislav Delay tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Danielle Patucci record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk 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 clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Marc Almond record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
The Blackbyrds,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Anakelly,
Khruangbin,
The Fall,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Sam Rivers,
Massinfluence,
Pharoah Sanders,
Grey Daturas,
Gang of Four,
The Knickerbockers,
Amon Düül,
The Music Machine,
Jacob Miller,
Dorothy Ashby,
Soul Sonic Force,
The Moleskins,
The Skatalites,
The Flesh Eaters,
DJ Style,
DJ Sneak,
the Human League,
Outsiders,
Black Moon,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Agitation Free,
X-Ray Spex,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Sunsets and Hearts,
These Immortal Souls,
Donald Byrd,
The Angels of Light,
Soft Machine,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Motions,
Slave,
Yellowson,
Clear Light,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Japan,
Robert Görl,
Theoretical Girls,
JFA,
Moebius,
Audionom,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Eli Mardock,
The Evens,
Joy Division,
Arab on Radar,
The Birthday Party,
Barrington Levy,
New York Dolls,
Crispy Ambulance,
Al Stewart,
Malaria!,
Jerry's Kids,
Mr. Review, Mr. Review, Mr. Review, Mr. Review.
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.