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 Brunei and from Spokane.
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 1963 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Madrid and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Copenhagen 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the 808 sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade to the funk 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 The Residents. All the underground hits.
All James Chance & The Contortions tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Skaos record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Litter,
The Gladiators,
The Dirtbombs,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
In Retrospect,
Bronski Beat,
48th St. Collective,
Alice Coltrane,
10cc,
Dave Gahan,
Tommy Roe,
The Alarm Clocks,
Funky Four + One,
KRS-One,
Pulsallama,
Swell Maps,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Brand Nubian,
Graham Central Station,
Jacob Miller,
The Young Rascals,
The Invisible,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
Todd Rundgren,
The Skatalites,
Thompson Twins,
Niagra,
Mars,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Eve St. Jones,
Gang Starr,
Mo-Dettes,
Black Pus,
Anthony Braxton,
The Count Five,
Judy Mowatt,
Toni Rubio,
Don Cherry,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Monolake,
Rhythm & Sound,
The Pretty Things,
Dead Boys,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Isaac Hayes,
Soft Cell,
Television,
Soul II Soul,
Grauzone,
Nik Kershaw,
Jerry Gold Smith,
the Association,
The Fugs,
Sixth Finger,
Lee Hazlewood,
Arthur Verocai,
The Moleskins,
Derrick May,
Fatback Band,
Joy Division,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Rekid,
Alison Limerick,
Byron Stingily,
Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar, Barry Ungar.
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.