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 Tuvalu and from Manchester.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 1965 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Johannesburg and Milan.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Toronto 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 harpsichord 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 Intrusion to the punk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Peter & Gordon. All the underground hits.
All The Techniques tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ultimate Spinach 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Rhythm & Sound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
James Chance & The Contortions,
LL Cool J,
Spandau Ballet,
Main Source,
Eve St. Jones,
Accadde A,
Suburban Knight,
Moby Grape,
Minnie Riperton,
Albert Ayler,
Pagans,
A Certain Ratio,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
Swans,
Radiohead,
Echospace,
Tommy Roe,
Nation of Ulysses,
Japan,
Urselle,
Bobby Byrd,
Buzzcocks,
Maurizio,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
The Victims,
Faraquet,
Harmonia,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
The Sonics,
U.S. Maple,
Gang Gang Dance,
Heaven 17,
Peter and Kerry,
The Alarm Clocks,
The Techniques,
Spoonie Gee,
Donny Hathaway,
Easy Going,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Bill Near,
John Holt,
Television Personalities,
Gil Scott Heron,
June Days,
Clear Light,
The Shadows of Knight,
Camouflage,
Deakin,
The Cosmic Jokers,
The Moody Blues,
Danielle Patucci,
Bobby Sherman,
The Stooges,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Thee Headcoats,
The Golliwogs,
Guru Guru,
H. Thieme,
Throbbing Gristle,
Franke,
Fugazi,
The Modern Lovers,
Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan, Gichy Dan.
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.