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 Papua New Guinea and from Taipei.
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 1963 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Taipei.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Spokane 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 Soft Boys practice in a loft in Cambridge.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Ultimate Spinach to the jazz kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Tres Demented. All the underground hits.
All Max Romeo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Harpers Bizarre 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a harpsichord and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a James Chance & The Contortions record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought an organ.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Rosa Yemen,
Livin' Joy,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Outsiders,
Buzzcocks,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Barrington Levy,
Ludus,
Rod Modell,
Shuggie Otis,
The Monochrome Set,
The Sisters of Mercy,
Bootsy Collins,
Yazoo,
Neu!,
Rufus Thomas,
The Litter,
Radiopuhelimet,
Stetsasonic,
The Divine Comedy,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
The Fall,
Depeche Mode,
Masters at Work,
Roger Hodgson,
Lee Hazlewood,
Sarah Menescal,
the Soft Cell,
cv313,
Index,
Parry Music,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Camouflage,
Can,
Pantaleimon,
The Tremeloes,
Roy Ayers,
FM Einheit,
EPMD,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Jawbox,
Maurizio,
Davy DMX,
Junior Murvin,
Black Flag,
Model 500,
The Golliwogs,
Black Moon,
the Association,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Deakin,
Tubeway Army,
John Cale,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Avey Tare,
Jeru the Damaja,
The Fuzztones,
Gregory Isaacs,
Al Stewart,
Roxy Music,
Bill Wells, Bill Wells, Bill Wells, Bill Wells.
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.