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 Somalia and from Portland.
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 1968 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Tehran.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 oboe 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 The Selecter to the grunge kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Barclay James Harvest. All the underground hits.
All Absolute Body Control tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sugar Minott record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Jacques Brel record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Flash Fearless,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Make Up,
Sound Behaviour,
Agitation Free,
Thompson Twins,
Siglo XX,
Negative Approach,
Popol Vuh,
Interpol,
Marshall Jefferson,
Gil Scott Heron,
Lungfish,
The Slackers,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Lucky Dragons,
Country Teasers,
Darondo,
Rotary Connection,
Amon Düül II,
Chrome,
Albert Ayler,
Quadrant,
Avey Tare,
Zero Boys,
Charles Mingus,
Byron Stingily,
Yazoo,
Masters at Work,
Television,
Radio Birdman,
Crime,
B.T. Express,
The Human League,
The Misunderstood,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Archie Shepp,
Joe Finger,
Sam Rivers,
U.S. Maple,
David Axelrod,
Bill Near,
Pagans,
Grandmaster Flash,
The Fuzztones,
the Human League,
Grey Daturas,
Tres Demented,
Harry Pussy,
Todd Rundgren,
Ronnie Foster,
Eden Ahbez,
Connie Case,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Young Marble Giants,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Swans,
Camouflage,
Pylon,
Junior Murvin,
L. Decosne,
Wings, Wings, Wings, Wings.
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.