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 Nigeria and from London.
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 Edmonton and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 The Remains to the punk 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 Youth Brigade. All the underground hits.
All Bronski Beat tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Lower 48 record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a David Bowie record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a sitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mo-Dettes,
Jacques Brel,
Thompson Twins,
Sam Rivers,
Tomorrow,
The Blues Magoos,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
10cc,
Theoretical Girls,
The Golliwogs,
Subhumans,
Deakin,
Chris Corsano,
Charles Mingus,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Spoonie Gee,
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Eve St. Jones,
The Gladiators,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Bad Manners,
kango's stein massive,
Grauzone,
Newcleus,
Crash Course in Science,
Lower 48,
Lyres,
The Doobie Brothers,
The Pop Group,
Crime,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Raincoats,
Brothers Johnson,
The Seeds,
June of 44,
Graham Central Station,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Shoche,
Bootsy Collins,
Jandek,
MC5,
Matthew Halsall,
Pylon,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Brand Nubian,
the Bar-Kays,
Minny Pops,
Gil Scott Heron,
Kurtis Blow,
Hardrive,
The Slackers,
Japan,
The Modern Lovers,
Throbbing Gristle,
The Remains,
Big Daddy Kane,
Fat Boys,
Sällskapet,
Babytalk,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Tears for Fears, Tears for Fears, Tears for Fears, Tears for Fears.
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.