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 Zambia 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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 Lou Reed 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 Five Americans 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 Alton Ellis. All the underground hits.
All Rakim tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam 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 arpeggiator and a rhodes and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The American Breed record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Simply Red,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Arthur Verocai,
Thee Headcoats,
Accadde A,
The Skatalites,
Niagra,
The Sound,
Section 25,
X-Ray Spex,
Guru Guru,
Porter Ricks,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Marcia Griffiths,
Groovy Waters,
UT,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The United States of America,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Al Stewart,
Audionom,
Trumans Water,
Deepchord,
Theoretical Girls,
Sex Pistols,
Godley & Creme,
The Angels of Light,
Michelle Simonal,
Wasted Youth,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Erykah Badu,
La Düsseldorf,
A Certain Ratio,
E-Dancer,
Chris & Cosey,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Moebius,
June of 44,
Prince Buster,
Organ,
Alton Ellis,
Aaron Thompson,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Negative Approach,
Warsaw,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
The Divine Comedy,
Crispian St. Peters,
Quando Quango,
The Saints,
Amon Düül II,
The Black Dice,
Bang On A Can,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Harpers Bizarre,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Tubeway Army,
Alice Coltrane,
The Toasters,
Bobby Byrd,
The Smiths,
John Coltrane,
Massinfluence, Massinfluence, Massinfluence, Massinfluence.
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.