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 Cambodia and from Calgary.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in 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 1967 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lille and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Glasgow 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Moby Grape to the electroclash kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Sly & The Family Stone. All the underground hits.
All Connie Case tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Sheep record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
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 Monks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gichy Dan,
Eric B and Rakim,
Lucky Dragons,
The Skatalites,
Swans,
Bill Near,
Monolake,
The Slits,
Janne Schatter,
The Monks,
Negative Approach,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Rod Modell,
Donald Byrd,
Pole,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Cheater Slicks,
Toni Rubio,
The Last Poets,
The Martian,
Minor Threat,
Newcleus,
Patti Smith,
Nas,
Loose Ends,
Curtis Mayfield,
Harmonia,
Ultra Naté,
Rakim,
Model 500,
Sparks,
Qualms,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
the Human League,
Michelle Simonal,
Mo-Dettes,
Laurel Aitken,
Grandmaster Flash,
Marmalade,
Junior Murvin,
Yellowson,
Bad Manners,
Das Ding,
Drive Like Jehu,
Chris Corsano,
Todd Rundgren,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Eden Ahbez,
Mandrill,
Pussy Galore,
Fear,
Lou Reed,
The Kinks,
The Mummies,
Magma,
Peter & Gordon,
Crash Course in Science,
Pierre Henry,
Wire,
Wally Richardson,
Infiniti,
Archie Shepp,
Terry Callier, Terry Callier, Terry Callier, Terry Callier.
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.