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 Eritrea and from Tehran.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
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 Milan and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 The Techniques to the punk 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 Max Romeo. All the underground hits.
All Whodini tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Matthew Bourne record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk 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 marimba and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a De La Soul & Jungle Brothers record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Pop Group,
Basic Channel,
Suicide,
Graham Central Station,
Pantytec,
The Moleskins,
Roxy Music,
Fugazi,
Bizarre Inc.,
Kurtis Blow,
Todd Rundgren,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Bad Manners,
Dorothy Ashby,
Neu!,
Au Pairs,
Masters at Work,
Ralphi Rosario,
Buzzcocks,
Ludus,
The Index,
Alison Limerick,
John Cale,
Gil Scott Heron,
David Axelrod,
Godley & Creme,
DNA,
cv313,
Youth Brigade,
Young Marble Giants,
Delon & Dalcan,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Flamin' Groovies,
Rakim,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Avey Tare,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Radio Birdman,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Sonics,
Sparks,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Swans,
Kool Moe Dee,
Leonard Cohen,
Duran Duran,
Laurel Aitken,
Sandy B,
Faust,
Half Japanese,
Minny Pops,
Khruangbin,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
the Sonics,
Glenn Branca,
Funky Four + One,
Howard Jones,
the Germs,
The Sisters of Mercy,
The Beau Brummels, The Beau Brummels, The Beau Brummels, The Beau Brummels.
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.