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 Nigeria and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Soft Boys show in Cambridge.
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 1969 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manila and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Beijing 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 Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Swell Maps to the dance 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 Minnie Riperton. All the underground hits.
All Rekid tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every London Community Gospel Choir record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bronski Beat record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Oneida,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Rufus Thomas,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Rhythm & Sound,
Rapeman,
Gang Starr,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Joyce Sims,
Eyeless In Gaza,
The New Christs,
Cal Tjader,
Metal Thangz,
Black Bananas,
Ice-T,
Loose Ends,
Crash Course in Science,
Goldenarms,
Spandau Ballet,
Hashim,
Sandy B,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
The Shadows of Knight,
Clear Light,
Gabor Szabo,
June Days,
The Monochrome Set,
Reuben Wilson,
Alton Ellis,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Marvin Gaye,
Main Source,
The Fuzztones,
The Neon Judgement,
Gastr Del Sol,
Jerry's Kids,
Radio Birdman,
Eric B and Rakim,
Massinfluence,
Dennis Brown,
Subhumans,
Matthew Halsall,
The Happenings,
Tropical Tobacco,
Visage,
Erasure,
Kool Moe Dee,
Pet Shop Boys,
New Order,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Scion,
Fad Gadget,
Jimmy McGriff,
Fatback Band,
Roy Ayers,
New York Dolls,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Camouflage,
Sight & Sound, Sight & Sound, Sight & Sound, Sight & Sound.
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.