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 Zimbabwe and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron show in Detroit.
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 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Halifax.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Rufus Thomas to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Charles Mingus. All the underground hits.
All The Cowsills tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Model 500 record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz 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 an arpeggiator and a clarinet and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Shuggie Otis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Qualms,
Bad Manners,
Lower 48,
Robert Wyatt,
Spandau Ballet,
Alison Limerick,
Youth Brigade,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Black Sheep,
Pylon,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Interpol,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
The Electric Prunes,
Model 500,
CMW,
Glambeats Corp.,
Mark Hollis,
The Cure,
Country Teasers,
Royal Trux,
The Toasters,
Lalo Schifrin,
DNA,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Bobby Womack,
Letta Mbulu,
Funky Four + One,
Hasil Adkins,
Chris Corsano,
the Germs,
Dual Sessions,
Organ,
Aswad,
Shuggie Otis,
Jacques Brel,
The Sonics,
Iggy Pop,
Traffic Nightmare,
Q and Not U,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
World's Most,
Scott Walker,
F. McDonald,
Eden Ahbez,
Guru Guru,
Stereo Dub,
Barbara Tucker,
Depeche Mode,
Ohio Players,
The Dead C,
The Trojans,
The Index,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Negative Approach,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
T.S.O.L.,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Technova,
Brass Construction,
Minor Threat, Minor Threat, Minor Threat, Minor Threat.
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.