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 Turkmenistan and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 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 Loose Ends to the disco 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 New Christs. All the underground hits.
All Au Pairs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every LL Cool J 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Nils Olav record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
June of 44,
Davy DMX,
The Gun Club,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Donald Byrd,
Lalo Schifrin,
Television,
Dual Sessions,
Gang Gang Dance,
Black Flag,
Wings,
Michelle Simonal,
Pole,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Minutemen,
Hoover,
Surgeon,
Boredoms,
Motorama,
Idris Muhammad,
Suburban Knight,
CMW,
The Knickerbockers,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Jeff Lynne,
Ronan,
The Gladiators,
The Smiths,
Robert Wyatt,
the Germs,
Godley & Creme,
Procol Harum,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Fear,
L. Decosne,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
MDC,
Vainqueur,
John Holt,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Monolake,
Eve St. Jones,
Adolescents,
Joensuu 1685,
Barrington Levy,
Country Teasers,
Alison Limerick,
The Angels of Light,
Joey Negro,
The Slits,
Second Layer,
AZ,
Spoonie Gee,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Gerry Rafferty,
A Certain Ratio,
Donny Hathaway,
The Vogues,
Radiohead,
Babytalk,
The Gap Band,
Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division, Joy Division.
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.