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 Canada and from Halifax.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron 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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 1971 at the first Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Gichy Dan to the jazz kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Traffic Nightmare. All the underground hits.
All Donald Byrd tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Juan Atkins 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Howard Jones record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Mr. Review,
Technova,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Grass Roots,
Thee Headcoats,
Heaven 17,
Pantaleimon,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Von Mondo,
Main Source,
The Knickerbockers,
Whodini,
Little Man,
Lindisfarne,
The Divine Comedy,
Crime,
Kurtis Blow,
Iggy Pop,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Negative Approach,
Spoonie Gee,
Crispy Ambulance,
the Germs,
Funky Four + One,
Black Moon,
The Names,
The Men They Couldn't Hang,
Bootsy Collins,
The Gap Band,
Wolf Eyes,
Blancmange,
The Human League,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Jandek,
The American Breed,
The Cure,
Tres Demented,
MC5,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Walker Brothers,
Pole,
Alice Coltrane,
Camberwell Now,
Black Pus,
The Doobie Brothers,
Half Japanese,
Connie Case,
Mission of Burma,
Grandmaster Flash,
Bang On A Can,
Mandrill,
Gong,
Flipper,
The Blues Magoos,
Rakim,
Nico,
Gil Scott Heron,
Freddie Wadling,
Joe Finger,
Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül, Amon Düül.
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.