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 Bulgaria and from Accra.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1966 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen 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 organ 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 Doobie Brothers to the grime 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 Clear Light. All the underground hits.
All Marcia Griffiths tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Mars 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Susan Cadogan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a linndrum.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum 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 Doobie Brothers,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
the Association,
Barclay James Harvest,
The Cure,
The Angels of Light,
EPMD,
Sugar Minott,
Warren Ellis,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
The Human League,
Black Moon,
cv313,
Kurtis Blow,
Alphaville,
Mantronix,
The Star Department,
The Wake,
Gastr Del Sol,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Peter and Kerry,
Chris Corsano,
Judy Mowatt,
Fela Kuti,
Television,
Cymande,
The Divine Comedy,
Piero Umiliani,
Ponytail,
This Heat,
Con Funk Shun,
Von Mondo,
Aswad,
Pole,
Sam Rivers,
Archie Shepp,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Offenders,
Donald Byrd,
Kenny Larkin,
Half Japanese,
K-Klass,
Man Eating Sloth,
Letta Mbulu,
Delta 5,
Cybotron,
Ralphi Rosario,
E-Dancer,
Leonard Cohen,
Depeche Mode,
Angry Samoans,
Stereo Dub,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Accadde A,
Theoretical Girls,
The Raincoats,
Organ,
Joensuu 1685,
Marine Girls,
L. Decosne,
Iggy Pop,
New Age Steppers,
Joey Negro, Joey Negro, Joey Negro, Joey Negro.
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.