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 Morocco and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1963 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Manchester and Spokane.
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 1973 at the first Television practice in a loft in New York.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Liliput to the rap kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Aaron Thompson. All the underground hits.
All N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Radiohead record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a linndrum 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 güiro and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Duran Duran,
New York Dolls,
Barry Ungar,
Nas,
These Immortal Souls,
The Doors,
Tears for Fears,
Sister Nancy,
Intrusion,
Spandau Ballet,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Moody Blues,
Roy Ayers,
David Bowie,
Altered Images,
Dawn Penn,
The Seeds,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Pussy Galore,
Jacques Brel,
Leonard Cohen,
LL Cool J,
Scientists,
Stereo Dub,
Lalann,
New Age Steppers,
Interpol,
Bootsy Collins,
Fatback Band,
Robert Wyatt,
Sugar Minott,
Fela Kuti,
Anthony Braxton,
Echospace,
T. Rex,
Stetsasonic,
The Offenders,
Skriet,
The Dave Clark Five,
The Detroit Cobras,
Warsaw,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Gong,
Subhumans,
Ultra Naté,
Gichy Dan,
Jeff Lynne,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Bob Dylan,
The Martian,
Eden Ahbez,
The Birthday Party,
Ronan,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
10cc,
Peter and Kerry,
Soul Sonic Force,
Max Romeo,
Cecil Taylor, Cecil Taylor, Cecil Taylor, Cecil Taylor.
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.