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 Tajikistan and from Woodstock.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Neu! show in Düsseldorf.
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 1962 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Accra.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 marimba 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 Donald Byrd to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Ultra Naté. All the underground hits.
All Letta Mbulu tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every kango's stein massive record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a güiro and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bobby Womack record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lou Reed,
Oneida,
The Moleskins,
The Wake,
Sound Behaviour,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Stooges,
Jerry's Kids,
A Certain Ratio,
Ultimate Spinach,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Curtis Mayfield,
Gichy Dan,
Jeff Lynne,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
The Mojo Men,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
The Toasters,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Albert Ayler,
The Birthday Party,
Television,
Sam Rivers,
Gong,
Scientists,
The Modern Lovers,
Magazine,
The Tremeloes,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Bob Dylan,
Moss Icon,
Fugazi,
Public Enemy,
the Swans,
Sonic Youth,
Davy DMX,
James Chance & The Contortions,
the Bar-Kays,
The Doors,
Harmonia,
Grandmaster Flash,
Vainqueur,
Los Fastidios,
Crime,
Johnny Osbourne,
Can,
Donny Hathaway,
JFA,
Bill Near,
Roxy Music,
R.M.O.,
Whodini,
Shuggie Otis,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
MDC,
The Velvet Underground,
Con Funk Shun,
Alison Limerick,
Brass Construction,
Cecil Taylor,
Motorama,
Bobby Byrd, Bobby Byrd, Bobby Byrd, Bobby Byrd.
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.