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 Armenia and from Philadelphia.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 1976 at the first Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the 808 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 Joy Division to the rock 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 The Mighty Diamonds. All the underground hits.
All Shuggie Otis tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Names record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Kenny Larkin,
Pagans,
Donny Hathaway,
Eric Copeland,
Toni Rubio,
Kerri Chandler,
Roxy Music,
ABC,
the Sonics,
Dark Day,
Slick Rick,
the Normal,
Sexual Harrassment,
Minnie Riperton,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Blossom Toes,
Max Romeo,
Massinfluence,
the Swans,
Barrington Levy,
Can,
The Gladiators,
Pantytec,
Stiv Bators,
The Standells,
Nik Kershaw,
Ornette Coleman,
Public Enemy,
Yellowson,
Aswad,
Skriet,
John Holt,
Television Personalities,
Lindisfarne,
ABBA,
The Cure,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Los Fastidios,
a-ha,
The Shadows of Knight,
The Seeds,
Erykah Badu,
Monks,
The Blues Magoos,
The Cowsills,
Roger Hodgson,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Ultimate Spinach,
Graham Central Station,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Audionom,
Buzzcocks,
Sparks,
Popol Vuh,
Trumans Water,
Sonny Sharrock,
Isaac Hayes,
Drexciya, Drexciya, Drexciya, Drexciya.
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.