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 Latvia and from Milan.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Feelies show in Haledon.
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 Columbus and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 1967 at the first Rodriguez practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Eric B and Rakim to the jazz 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 Little Man. All the underground hits.
All Blossom Toes tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Silicon Teens 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Schoolly D record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
John Lydon,
Erykah Badu,
Zero Boys,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Franke,
New Order,
The Tremeloes,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Fall,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Albert Ayler,
Absolute Body Control,
Cecil Taylor,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Neil Young,
Big Daddy Kane,
The Wake,
Jesper Dahlbäck,
Drive Like Jehu,
a-ha,
Whodini,
Harpers Bizarre,
Ponytail,
The Gun Club,
Liliput,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Cheater Slicks,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Mars,
Delta 5,
Little Man,
Procol Harum,
Ludus,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Traffic Nightmare,
One Last Wish,
the Sonics,
The Pretty Things,
Television Personalities,
Drexciya,
Camberwell Now,
Roxette,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Archie Shepp,
Spandau Ballet,
Grauzone,
Main Source,
CMW,
The Count Five,
Michelle Simonal,
Prince Buster,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Josef K,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Suburban Knight,
Zapp,
Unrelated Segments,
Cluster,
Godley & Creme,
The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines, The Fire Engines.
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.