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 Ethiopia and from Toronto.
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 1968 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Edmonton.
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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 the Soft Cell to the dance 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 Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra. All the underground hits.
All The New Christs tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a linndrum and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Au Pairs record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Freddie Wadling,
New York Dolls,
Bauhaus,
Siglo XX,
Khruangbin,
The Shadows of Knight,
Slick Rick,
Franke,
The Smiths,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Trojans,
Bang On A Can,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Dirtbombs,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Grass Roots,
Blake Baxter,
The Associates,
X-Ray Spex,
The Victims,
Cameo,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Minnie Riperton,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Niagra,
Kerri Chandler,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
These Immortal Souls,
Joyce Sims,
Howard Jones,
Isaac Hayes,
a-ha,
The Moleskins,
Letta Mbulu,
Kaleidoscope,
Simply Red,
Harpers Bizarre,
Sister Nancy,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Gil Scott Heron,
Max Romeo,
Traffic Nightmare,
Pere Ubu,
The Toasters,
The Seeds,
The Fire Engines,
The Searchers,
Country Teasers,
Wasted Youth,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Flamin' Groovies,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Henry Cow,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Sexual Harrassment,
Skaos,
The Divine Comedy,
The Move,
Ludus, Ludus, Ludus, Ludus.
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.