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 Syria and from Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1967 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Don Cherry to the grime 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 Fat Boys. All the underground hits.
All D'Angelo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Walker Brothers record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Oneida record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Evens,
Absolute Body Control,
Ultra Naté,
Jeru the Damaja,
Arcadia,
Icehouse,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Bronski Beat,
Faraquet,
These Immortal Souls,
The Trojans,
Nik Kershaw,
Black Moon,
Tommy Roe,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Blossom Toes,
Crash Course in Science,
Franke,
Qualms,
Smog,
Cymande,
Maurizio,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Minutemen,
Ponytail,
Bluetip,
The Red Krayola,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Yaz,
The Doors,
Anthony Braxton,
The Smoke,
The Standells,
New Age Steppers,
The Five Americans,
Ludus,
Michelle Simonal,
Byron Stingily,
Boogie Down Productions,
Jeff Mills,
Malaria!,
Eyeless In Gaza,
The Cure,
Ten City,
Dawn Penn,
Pussy Galore,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The New Christs,
Moby Grape,
Lindisfarne,
Electric Prunes,
Lou Reed,
Aswad,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Lalann,
Easy Going,
Amazonics,
Rapeman,
Masters at Work,
10cc,
Throbbing Gristle,
Alison Limerick, Alison Limerick, Alison Limerick, Alison Limerick.
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.