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 Madagascar and from Houston.
But I was there.
I was there in 1983.
I was there at the first Art of Noise show in London.
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 1960 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Gabor Szabo to the rap kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 The Music Machine. All the underground hits.
All Joyce Sims tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sight & Sound record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a mellotron and an arpeggiator 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 arpeggiator and bought an oboe.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Big Daddy Kane,
Stetsasonic,
the Slits,
The Moleskins,
Gregory Isaacs,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Blossom Toes,
Brand Nubian,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
The Cowsills,
Spoonie Gee,
DNA,
Oneida,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Fortunes,
Pole,
The Monochrome Set,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Second Layer,
The Moody Blues,
Eden Ahbez,
Chris Corsano,
Brass Construction,
Kayak,
CMW,
Boogie Down Productions,
David Bowie,
Bobby Sherman,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Negative Approach,
Schoolly D,
The Stooges,
The Selecter,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Rapeman,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Scientists,
R.M.O.,
Strawberry Alarm Clock,
Eric B and Rakim,
Mad Mike,
The Flesh Eaters,
A Certain Ratio,
Tears for Fears,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Scan 7,
Scratch Acid,
Thee Headcoats,
Dorothy Ashby,
Public Enemy,
the Germs,
Ornette Coleman,
China Crisis,
The Gladiators,
Angry Samoans,
Sex Pistols,
Sly & The Family Stone,
La Düsseldorf,
Fatback Band,
Wasted Youth,
Shuggie Otis, Shuggie Otis, Shuggie Otis, Shuggie Otis.
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.