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 St Lucia and from Portland.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Portland.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Curtis Mayfield to the disco 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 Monks. All the underground hits.
All Delon & Dalcan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The J.B.'s record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 chamberlin and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Kerrie Biddell,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Robert Görl,
8 Eyed Spy,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Whodini,
Henry Cow,
Barrington Levy,
Skriet,
Letta Mbulu,
Niagra,
Michelle Simonal,
cv313,
Inner City,
Peter and Kerry,
The Real Kids,
Das Ding,
Franke,
the Association,
Agent Orange,
Lyres,
EPMD,
Livin' Joy,
The Moody Blues,
The Trojans,
Bob Dylan,
Public Enemy,
Hasil Adkins,
Hashim,
FM Einheit,
New York Dolls,
Bobby Sherman,
Talk Talk,
UT,
Gerry Rafferty,
Spandau Ballet,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Zero Boys,
Clear Light,
Yazoo,
Blake Baxter,
Isaac Hayes,
Bad Manners,
Marmalade,
Man Parrish,
Oneida,
Vladislav Delay,
Scan 7,
Qualms,
Chris & Cosey,
The Fortunes,
Gong,
Peter & Gordon,
Skaos,
Janne Schatter,
Erykah Badu,
Tres Demented,
Frankie Knuckles,
Ice-T,
The Durutti Column,
Althea and Donna,
Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan.
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.