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 Uzbekistan and from Mumbai.
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 1968 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Lou Reed to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Crime. All the underground hits.
All Stereo Dub tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Fire Engines 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a marimba and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Porter Ricks record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
John Holt,
the Fania All-Stars,
Lungfish,
Pharoah Sanders,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
The Tremeloes,
Joe Smooth,
The Buckinghams,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Godley & Creme,
Dorothy Ashby,
Patti Smith,
Derrick Morgan,
Make Up,
Mandrill,
Index,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Five Americans,
Gang Starr,
Nik Kershaw,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Gerry Rafferty,
Agitation Free,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Seeds,
The Flesh Eaters,
Iggy Pop,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Albert Ayler,
The Saints,
T. Rex,
Little Man,
Flipper,
Blossom Toes,
Anakelly,
Ponytail,
The Standells,
The Doors,
the Human League,
Stetsasonic,
Bluetip,
The Trojans,
Rakim,
Josef K,
Funkadelic,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
DJ Sneak,
Q and Not U,
Scratch Acid,
The Divine Comedy,
Kurtis Blow,
The Golliwogs,
Ralphi Rosario,
Skarface,
Sam Rivers,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Lou Christie,
Connie Case,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Nick Fraelich,
The Fire Engines,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru, Guru Guru.
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.