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 Lesotho and from Manchester.
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 1961 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Jakarta.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Gerry Rafferty to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Radio Birdman. All the underground hits.
All Curtis Mayfield tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Matthew Halsall 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Half Japanese record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
John Lydon,
Yusef Lateef,
Kevin Saunderson,
Danielle Patucci,
Trumans Water,
Ten City,
Suburban Knight,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Patti Smith,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Bobbi Humphrey,
10cc,
June Days,
Joyce Sims,
The Detroit Cobras,
Roger Hodgson,
Jimmy McGriff,
Skriet,
Magazine,
Royal Trux,
The Pop Group,
Minutemen,
Amon Düül II,
Frankie Knuckles,
Nick Fraelich,
Lakeside,
8 Eyed Spy,
Kayak,
Groovy Waters,
Drexciya,
Nils Olav,
Tommy Roe,
Cal Tjader,
Monolake,
The Techniques,
The Barracudas,
Eyeless In Gaza,
B.T. Express,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Arthur Verocai,
Von Mondo,
Neil Young,
Agent Orange,
Marine Girls,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The Knickerbockers,
The Happenings,
the Germs,
Technova,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Flamin' Groovies,
The Gap Band,
Gil Scott Heron,
Leonard Cohen,
D'Angelo,
ABBA,
Man Eating Sloth,
The Gun Club,
Fela Kuti,
Aswad,
The Mummies,
Television Personalities, Television Personalities, Television Personalities, Television Personalities.
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.