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 South Africa and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Lewis show in Vancouver.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Mexico City.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the oboe sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Lungfish to the dance 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 Subhumans. All the underground hits.
All Jandek tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Blancmange 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an organ and a mellotron 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 rhodes and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
the Germs,
Nas,
Gregory Isaacs,
Gong,
FM Einheit,
Procol Harum,
Lungfish,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Jeff Mills,
Bobby Womack,
Toni Rubio,
Mantronix,
Chris & Cosey,
Cluster,
Althea and Donna,
UT,
Thompson Twins,
David McCallum,
La Düsseldorf,
The Monks,
Moss Icon,
Curtis Mayfield,
Pagans,
10cc,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Todd Rundgren,
Television,
Babytalk,
Wally Richardson,
Soulsonic Force,
The Names,
Amazonics,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Piero Umiliani,
Black Moon,
Rakim,
Yaz,
CMW,
U.S. Maple,
the Sonics,
The Fortunes,
The Moody Blues,
Con Funk Shun,
Jawbox,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
The Leaves,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
World's Most,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The New Christs,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Sly & The Family Stone,
Japan,
Public Image Ltd.,
Sarah Menescal,
Jerry's Kids,
Von Mondo,
Ultra Naté,
Cal Tjader,
Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt, Judy Mowatt.
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.