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 Rwanda and from Jakarta.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Human League show in Sheffield.
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 1960 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 New York Dolls to the rock kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Schoolly D. All the underground hits.
All Colin Newman tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Malaria! 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 a güiro and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sex Pistols record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Cluster,
The Victims,
Chris Corsano,
Mo-Dettes,
Minutemen,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Kerrie Biddell,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
Slave,
Inner City,
Au Pairs,
Agent Orange,
Rapeman,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Joey Negro,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Stooges,
Ken Boothe,
Johnny Osbourne,
Country Joe & The Fish,
8 Eyed Spy,
Arthur Verocai,
Josef K,
Zero Boys,
E-Dancer,
Lou Christie,
The Litter,
Bobby Sherman,
FM Einheit,
A Certain Ratio,
Bobby Byrd,
The Selecter,
Throbbing Gristle,
T. Rex,
Kool Moe Dee,
Thompson Twins,
Boz Scaggs,
Peter and Kerry,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Yellowson,
Kerri Chandler,
LL Cool J,
Crispy Ambulance,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Terrestrial Tones,
Basic Channel,
Crime,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Yaz,
Television,
Television Personalities,
Godley & Creme,
Camberwell Now,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Depeche Mode,
Ohio Players,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Delon & Dalcan,
Iggy Pop,
Das Ding,
Colin Newman, Colin Newman, Colin Newman, Colin Newman.
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.