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 Slovenia and from Edmonton.
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 1963 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
I was working on the guitar 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 Bronski Beat to the jazz 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 Schoolly D. All the underground hits.
All Bush Tetras tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Vogues record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 an oboe and a guitar 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 marimba and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Patti Smith,
Susan Cadogan,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Mantronix,
the Swans,
Danielle Patucci,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Con Funk Shun,
Skriet,
Pere Ubu,
Bill Wells,
The Sound,
The Zeros,
June of 44,
Lucky Dragons,
Harpers Bizarre,
Boogie Down Productions,
Neu!,
The Barracudas,
Tommy Roe,
Half Japanese,
Unwound,
Zapp,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Harry Pussy,
Banda Bassotti,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Supertramp,
The Shadows of Knight,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
John Foxx,
Eric B and Rakim,
CMW,
Roger Hodgson,
Kerrie Biddell,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Dark Day,
DNA,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Rufus Thomas,
Blossom Toes,
Cal Tjader,
Wire,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Second Layer,
The Gories,
The Moleskins,
Lebanon Hanover,
Yaz,
The Beau Brummels,
Crooked Eye,
Drexciya,
Gastr Del Sol,
Fort Wilson Riot,
The Fortunes,
Ronan,
Wolf Eyes,
Johnny Clarke,
Bluetip,
Oneida, Oneida, Oneida, Oneida.
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.