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 the UAE and from Tokyo.
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 1963 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 1979 at the first Josef K practice in a loft in Edinburgh.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Mark Hollis to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Patti Smith. All the underground hits.
All Cameo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ajijia Myrayebe record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 a spring reverb and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rotary Connection record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bill Wells,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Todd Rundgren,
The Neon Judgement,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Piero Umiliani,
Jawbox,
Kurtis Blow,
Lou Reed,
Crispy Ambulance,
Fela Kuti,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Judy Mowatt,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Youth Brigade,
The Divine Comedy,
The United States of America,
The Dirtbombs,
The Smiths,
FM Einheit,
Fluxion,
Quantec,
The Five Americans,
Hardrive,
Sister Nancy,
Kaleidoscope,
Joe Finger,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
X-102,
These Immortal Souls,
Susan Cadogan,
Joyce Sims,
Moby Grape,
The Velvet Underground,
Henry Cow,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Smog,
Crime,
Radio Birdman,
Alison Limerick,
John Cale,
Spandau Ballet,
Guru Guru,
Bluetip,
R.M.O.,
Lou Christie,
Second Layer,
The Doobie Brothers,
Essential Logic,
Albert Ayler,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Mad Mike,
Maurizio,
Jandek,
Young Marble Giants,
China Crisis,
Drexciya,
Q65,
LL Cool J,
Steve Hackett, Steve Hackett, Steve Hackett, Steve Hackett.
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.