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 Austria and from Columbus.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1965 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 chamberlin 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 Sonic Youth to the crunk 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 The Count Five. All the underground hits.
All Quando Quango tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Television 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a chamberlin and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sun Ra Arkestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Althea and Donna,
Eden Ahbez,
Erasure,
FM Einheit,
Susan Cadogan,
Rekid,
Nas,
Jerry's Kids,
Camberwell Now,
Gang Green,
Agitation Free,
The J.B.'s,
X-Ray Spex,
Stetsasonic,
MDC,
Throbbing Gristle,
Nils Olav,
The Human League,
Monolake,
The Fugs,
Intrusion,
Massinfluence,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Steve Hackett,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Ohio Players,
Jacques Brel,
Amon Düül,
The Saints,
Grauzone,
the Normal,
The Dead C,
Can,
Radiopuhelimet,
Eric Dolphy,
Mars,
The Slackers,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
The Evens,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Kevin Saunderson,
Liliput,
The Gladiators,
Gang of Four,
Japan,
Joe Finger,
Leonard Cohen,
Godley & Creme,
Bad Manners,
Soulsonic Force,
Roxette,
The Moleskins,
the Fania All-Stars,
Alton Ellis,
Unwound,
Derrick Morgan,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Chrome,
Laurel Aitken,
Niagra,
Malaria!,
Anakelly,
Joe Smooth,
Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry, Don Cherry.
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.