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 Estonia and from Lagos.
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 1966 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Delhi and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Eric Copeland to the grunge kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Rahsaan Roland Kirk. All the underground hits.
All Pagans tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every A Certain Ratio record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Brick record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Henry Cow,
Joe Finger,
Jimmy McGriff,
Liliput,
The Busters,
La Düsseldorf,
New Age Steppers,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Goldenarms,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Michelle Simonal,
Moby Grape,
Darondo,
Todd Rundgren,
Scratch Acid,
This Heat,
Skaos,
Sparks,
Roxette,
The Five Americans,
Judy Mowatt,
David Axelrod,
Letta Mbulu,
Sonic Youth,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Tubeway Army,
Siglo XX,
The Human League,
Neil Young,
the Soft Cell,
Albert Ayler,
Bill Wells,
Barrington Levy,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Leaves,
Don Cherry,
The Dead C,
Alton Ellis,
Slick Rick,
Eddi Front,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Zapp,
The Modern Lovers,
James White and The Blacks,
Peter & Gordon,
Kevin Saunderson,
Von Mondo,
Morten Harket,
Circle Jerks,
Scion,
Aloha Tigers,
The United States of America,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Echo & the Bunnymen,
Bluetip,
The Smoke,
Television Personalities,
Swell Maps,
Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp, Archie Shepp.
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.