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 Mali and from Houston.
But I was there.
I was there in 2001.
I was there at the first Tiga show in Montreal.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 Nile Rodgers 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 Donny Hathaway to the punk kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 These Immortal Souls. All the underground hits.
All David Axelrod tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Star Department record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Oppenheimer Analysis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bobby Byrd,
Angry Samoans,
Symarip,
The Standells,
The Raincoats,
Aaron Thompson,
Radio Birdman,
Minny Pops,
Half Japanese,
Maleditus Sound,
The Smoke,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Hardrive,
Grey Daturas,
Laurel Aitken,
Magma,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Harmonia,
Minutemen,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Lakeside,
Thompson Twins,
Nico,
Dennis Brown,
Theoretical Girls,
Basic Channel,
Maurizio,
Grauzone,
The Black Dice,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Bad Manners,
Nils Olav,
Freddie Wadling,
Yazoo,
Drexciya,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Jeff Lynne,
John Holt,
David Bowie,
Hashim,
The Leaves,
Rufus Thomas,
The Smiths,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Peter and Kerry,
Spoonie Gee,
David McCallum,
David Axelrod,
Surgeon,
Khruangbin,
Toni Rubio,
Motorama,
The Star Department,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Skaos,
Heaven 17,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Cal Tjader,
Underground Resistance,
Anthony Braxton,
Slick Rick, Slick Rick, Slick Rick, Slick Rick.
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.