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 Turkmenistan and from Lyon.
But I was there.
I was there in 1977.
I was there at the first Mistral show in Amsterdam.
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 1961 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Columbus 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 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Judy Mowatt to the disco kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon. All the underground hits.
All Bush Tetras tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Selecter 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 '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Audionom record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Boogie Down Productions,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Technova,
The Martian,
Ken Boothe,
Stockholm Monsters,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Royal Trux,
E-Dancer,
Lower 48,
The J.B.'s,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Sister Nancy,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Count Five,
Cal Tjader,
Aaron Thompson,
Grandmaster Flash,
Idris Muhammad,
Ralphi Rosario,
Blake Baxter,
Althea and Donna,
Al Stewart,
The Mojo Men,
Pole,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Alice Coltrane,
The Five Americans,
Nas,
Black Pus,
Yazoo,
the Human League,
Pulsallama,
New Order,
Japan,
Brass Construction,
Rakim,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Spoonie Gee,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Can,
The Skatalites,
Sällskapet,
Danielle Patucci,
Blancmange,
Gerry Rafferty,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Tomorrow,
Circle Jerks,
Excepter,
Delon & Dalcan,
Gang Green,
The Velvet Underground,
Laurel Aitken,
The Vogues,
Minnie Riperton,
Jeru the Damaja,
OOIOO,
Avey Tare,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Jandek, Jandek, Jandek, Jandek.
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.