about
I have been playing this song since I first wrote it back in 97 or 98. I still do. It is one of my fave songs that I have ever written and although the way I play it now it very different to this version, this still gives me a kick whenever I hear it.
The best thing about this recording, besides being the only semi-disco song I’ve ever recorded, is that it captures the only drummer who ever gave me the right beat for the tune, again our man, Pip Atherstone-Reid (who is also responsible for the funny samples at the end).
By the way, Pip Atherstone-Reid should not be confused for his wife, Pip Atherstone-Reid, although - yes their names are the same and I still bear the crushing weight of being responsible for introducing these two Pips to each other which set off a chain reaction of confusion which can still be heard reverberating around the world today, although mostly in the Fitzroy North area.
Anyway, I am listening to this tune as I write and I just need to repeat, in case you ever read this Pip, you talented so-and-so, that the drums on this are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
lyrics
Never Gonna Be A DJ
By Seamus Anthony
I quit my job washing dishes and scrubbing pans the other night;
I just walked out of the kitchen while they weren't lookin' even though I knew it wasn't right.
But the other kitchen hand, you see,
Well he was only twenty three;
They found him floating lifeless in the Yarra,
And now he will never be,
All of those things he wanted to be.
He wanted to be a DJ,
But all he ever did was work all day,
And now he's never gonna be no DJ
Never gonna be a DJ, baby,
Never gonna be a DJ.
So as I was drying the cutlery,
Sweeping the floors,
And emptying the bins,
And as the chefs burned their arms and swore,
I got to thinkin' about things (again).
And I re-realised that life is far too short to waste,
Doing something that you really hate.
So if you're gonna do it,
Then go ahead and do it,
Before it's too late.
Before it's too late.
Never gonna be a DJ, baby,
Never gonna be a DJ.
And then that night as I was lying in my bed,
I heard this voice inside my head.
It said "G'day Seamus."
And I said "G'day Steve...
Ummm ... aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Yeah that's right,
Very perceptive!
But I just wanted to tell you about how I really died.
And I just wanted to give you,
A little peace of mind,
And let you know that it's alright..."
credits
from
Quill,
released January 1, 2000
Written by Seamus Anthony, performed by Quill
license
all rights reserved
