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 Afghanistan and from Glasgow.
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 1967 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Lagos and Cairo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 1977 at the first Zapp practice in a loft in Hamilton.
I was working on the chamberlin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 The Index to the rap kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Rhythm & Sound. All the underground hits.
All Echospace tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Eric Dolphy 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Black Sheep,
Bang On A Can,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Average White Band,
Robert Hood,
Kevin Saunderson,
Nation of Ulysses,
The Techniques,
Kaleidoscope,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Mission of Burma,
Surgeon,
The Doors,
Harmonia,
Sound Behaviour,
In Retrospect,
Bob Dylan,
The Smiths,
Fat Boys,
David Bowie,
Morten Harket,
Joy Division,
Fifty Foot Hose,
MC5,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
China Crisis,
These Immortal Souls,
The Toasters,
Sarah Menescal,
Sex Pistols,
Boredoms,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Joensuu 1685,
Prince Buster,
Patti Smith,
Terry Callier,
Piero Umiliani,
The Cure,
Circle Jerks,
Gang of Four,
The Remains,
Erykah Badu,
Albert Ayler,
The Moleskins,
Stetsasonic,
Livin' Joy,
The Cowsills,
Throbbing Gristle,
Malaria!,
Robert Görl,
Matthew Bourne,
The Wake,
Minnie Riperton,
Skriet,
Pantytec,
Magazine,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
New Order,
Crispian St. Peters,
The American Breed,
Mark Hollis,
Dennis Brown, Dennis Brown, Dennis Brown, Dennis Brown.
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.