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 Kyrgyzstan and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 Manila and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school New York 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 1975 at the first Ubu practice in a loft in Cleveland.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 Dennis Brown to the crunk kids.
I played it at Trash.
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 Amon Düül II. All the underground hits.
All Pantaleimon tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bang On A Can record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Lonnie Liston Smith record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Newcleus,
Surgeon,
The Moody Blues,
the Swans,
Roxy Music,
Andrew Hill,
Roy Ayers,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Joey Negro,
Gichy Dan,
Harmonia,
Radiohead,
Heaven 17,
Curtis Mayfield,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
UT,
The Misunderstood,
Barbara Tucker,
Ice-T,
Spoonie Gee,
Leonard Cohen,
Fela Kuti,
The Blues Magoos,
Kevin Saunderson,
Porter Ricks,
Marshall Jefferson,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
The Pretty Things,
Niagra,
48th St. Collective,
The Fuzztones,
Dorothy Ashby,
Anthony Braxton,
Ohio Players,
The Kinks,
June of 44,
The Doors,
The Standells,
The Gap Band,
Khruangbin,
Peter & Gordon,
Dead Boys,
Gil Scott Heron,
Janne Schatter,
The Durutti Column,
Symarip,
Tubeway Army,
Mars,
John Coltrane,
Supertramp,
Dave Gahan,
Eric Copeland,
Matthew Bourne,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
The Smiths,
Tim Buckley,
Skriet,
The Moleskins,
Con Funk Shun,
Bobbi Humphrey, Bobbi Humphrey, Bobbi Humphrey, Bobbi Humphrey.
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.