Nashville
Script - Dialogue Transcript
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Nashville
Script
Now, after years in the making,
Robert Altman brings to the big
screen the long-awaited Nashville,
with ... count 'em...
of your very favorite stars!
David Arkin, Barbara Baxley,
Ned Beatty in Nashville!
And the fabulous performances
of Karen Black, Ronee Blakely!
Timothy Brown in Nashville,
along with the spectacular
Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin!
With Robert Doqui in Nashville!
And the exciting appearances
of Shelley Duvall, Allen Garfield!
Henry Gibson in Nashville!
And the fantastic Scott Glenn,
Jeff Goldblum!
Barbara Harris in Nashville!
Not to mention the terrific
David Hayward, Michael Murphy!
Allan Nicholls in Nashville!
And the all-time great
Dave Peel!
Cristina Raines,
Bert Remsen in Nashville!
Plus the incredible
Lily Tomlin!
Gwen Welles and Keenan Wynn
in Nashville!
Be the first on your block to marvel
at the magnificent stars...
through the magic of stereophonic
sound and living-color picture...
right before your very eyes
without commercial interruption.
Fellow taxpayers
and stockholders in America,
on the first Tuesday
in November...
we have to make some vital decisions
about our management.
Let me go directly
to the point.
I'm for doing
some replacing.
I've discussed
the Replacement Party...
with people
all over this country,
and I'm often confronted
with the statement:
"I don't want to get
mixed up in politics,"
or "I'm tired of politics,"
or "I'm not interested. "
Almost as often someone says, "I
can't do anything about it anyway. "
Let me point out two things.
Number one: All of us
are deeply involved with politics,
whether we know it or not
and whether we like it or not.
And number two:
We can do something about it.
When you pay more
for an automobile...
than it cost Columbus
to make his first voyage to America,
that's politics.
My mother's people came by ship
And fought
at Bunker Hill
My daddy
lost a leg in France
I have his medals still
My brother served with Patton
I saw action in Algiers
Oh, we must be doin'
somethin'right
To last
years
- I pray my sons won't go to war
- Oooh
But if they must, they must
I share our country's motto
And in God
I place my trust
We may have had
our ups and downs
- Our times of trials and fears
- Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh
But we must be doin'
somethin' right
To last
years
We must be doin'
somethin' right
To last
years
I've lived
through two depressions
And seven
dust bowl droughts
Floods, locusts
and tornadoes
But I don't have
any doubts
We're all a part of history
Why, Old Glory waves to show
How far we've come along
till now
How far we've got to go
How far we've got to go
It's been hard work
But every time
we get into a fix
Let's think of
what our children face
In -aught- -
It's up to us to pave the way
With our blood and sweat
and tears
Oh, we must be doin'
somethin' right
To last
years
We must be doin'somethin'right
To last years
We must be doin' somethin' right
To last
Years
Years
years
- That girl down there.
- Hold it! Hold it, everybody.
Honey, you gotta
get her out.
- Bob.
- Yes, sir.
I want to talk to Buddy.
Buddy!
Y- Yes, sir, Dad?
Buddy, who is that woman in there
with the hat on?
- She a friend of yours?
- I'm Opal. Mr. Hamilton, I'm Opal.
I'm from the BBC, and I'm doing
a documentary on Nashville.
Buddy, you know I don't allow no
people visitin' when I'm recordin'.
I want no recording equipment
in that studio.
Escort the lady out.
If she wants a copy of this record,
she can buy it when it's released.
I'm sorry.
Just no strangers at all.
Mr. Hamilton,
I'll be waiting outside for you.
We'll have
a little interview.
I wanna do another one.
Jimmy, you count off.
I wanna hear
a little more Haven in this one.
There we are.
This is Studio B
right here.
- I think they're doing some gospel.
- Oh, how sweet!
A recording of some sort.
Hey, Glenn. How are you?
- Mind if we sit in?
- Come on in.
It's so little!
We'll be going down front
so we'll get out of the way.
I've been through all
the recording studios in London.
They're always enormous
and very impersonal.
This is so cozy.
Keep down
so they can see what's going on.
There we are.
Good Lord love a duck!
This is a choir...
a black choir...
from, uh, part of...
from Fisk University here in town.
Good Lord!
- The lady singing is...
- Is she a missionary?
No, she's not.
She's a gospel singer.
She's the wife
of our attorney.
I was making
a documentary in Kenya...
and there was this marvelous woman
who was a missionary.
That's why I asked if she was
a missionary. She was sensational.
She was converting Kukuyos
by the dozens.
She was trying to convert Masais.
Of course, they were hopeless.
They have their own
sort of religion.
- Do you believe in Jesus
- Yes, I do
- Do you believe in Jesus
- Yes, I do
- Do you believe in Jesus
- Yes, I do
Do you believe that Jesus knows
what's in your soul
Do you thank the Lord
every chance you get
For He sent His son
to save all good men
Yes, I do
- O Lord
- Yes, I do
- O Lord
- Yes, I do
Yes, I do
Yes, I do
Look at that.
That rhythm is fantastic.
- Do you believe in Jesus
- Yes, I do
It's funny... You can tell
it's come down in the genes...
through ages and ages and
hundreds of years, but it's there.
I mean, take off those robes and
one is in... in... in darkest Africa.
I can just see their naked,
frenzied bodies...
dancing to the beat of...
Do they carry on like that
in church?
Depends on which church
you go to.
- Yes, I do
- Yeah-eah-eah
- Yes, I do
- Ohhh, Lord
- Yes, I do
- Yeah-eah-eah
- Yes, I do, Yes, I do
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
- Ohhh-ohh-ohh
- Yes, I do, Oh, Lord
I've lived through
two depressions
And seven
dust bowl droughts
Floods, locusts
and tornadoes
But I don't have
any doubts
We're all a part
of history
Why, Old Glory
waves to show
How far...
- Hold it. Hold it!
- How far...
Hold it, everybody.
Damn it, Bob.
What's the name
of the piano player, Bob?
- That's Frog.
- That's Frog. He plays like a frog.
We'll try it again.
Jimmy, you count off.
- I believe in Jesus
- Yes, I do
- Oh, yes, I do
- Yes, I do
- Oh, yeah
- Yes, I do
- Yeah, yeah
- Yes, I do
- Yeah! Yeah!
- Yes, I do, Yes, I do
- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
- Yes, I do, Yes, I do, Yes, I do
- Oh, yeah, Oh, yeah
- Yes, I do, Yes, I do
- Oh, yeah, Oh, yeah
- Yes, I do, Yes, I do
- Oh, yeah, Oh, yeah
- Yes, I do, Yes, I do
- Oh, yeah, Oh, yeah
- Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!
Yes, I do
Yes, I do, Yes, I do
But we must be doin'
somethin' right
To last years
Must be
doin'somethin'right to last
...
- Damn it to hell!
- Hold it, everybody.
- Bob.
- Yes, sir?
What did you say
the piano player's name was?
- Frog.
- Yeah.
When I ask for Pig,
I want Pig.
Now, you get me Pig, and then we'll
be ready to record this here tune.
Yes, sir.
You get your hair cut.
You don't belong
in Nashville.
This is Bill Jenkins on special
assignment for Channel Two News.
Here at Metro Airport we're awaiting
the arrival of Barbara Jean,
who has been away for treatment
at the Baltimore Burn Center.
Already,
prior to her arrival,
around Barbara Jean fans and
supporters are here at the airport.
They are being held inside
the terminal by security police.
Ma'am, excuse me.
Am I late for Barbara Jean's plane?
- I don't think so.
- Thank you, ma'am.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce
and other fans are on the way.
Also, Haven Hamilton will make
an appearance here at Metro Airport.
There is
no question about being involved.
The question is,
What to do?
It is the very nature
of government...
to strain at a gnat
and swallow a camel.
As loyal citizens,
we accept our take-home pay,
understand
most of the deductions...
and even, to a degree,
come to expect them.
However, when the government
begins to force its citizens...
to swallow a camel,
it's time to pause
and do some accounting.
Her plane has touched down and will
be turning onto the ramp area...
directly here in front of us
at Metro Airport.
Could you pass me
the crackers, please?
- There you go.
- Thank you.
- Miss, may I have...
- Hi!
A... a caramel sundae,
please?
Honey, we ain't got
no caramel sundae.
- Butterscotch?
- Ain't got no butterscotch sundae.
- Oh.
- Got a strawberry.
- Strawberries are always in season.
- Fine, fine.
- That's fine. Thank you.
- Good for you too.
Thank you. Then I'll have
a strawberry sundae, if I may.
- You got it.
- Thank you.
- Sueleen, did you see what he did?
- One strawberry sundae!
Sueleen, did you see
what he just did?
He took the thing off the salt
and threw it up in the air.
Why'd you do that?
What are you doin'
in Nashville?
- Oh, I live here.
- You do?
Hey, fellas, come here.
I want you to see somethin'.
My wife and I...
My wife is sick,
unfortunately.
Oh, I'm sorry
to hear that.
It's just one of those things
that happens.
- Happens in the best of families.
- Yeah.
I wrote me this real hot song.
You wanna hear it?
It's called
"I Never Get Enough. "
Okay, listen.
All right?
I never get enough
I never get enough
Of the love
I'm hungry for
I never get enough
I never get enough
I always want
more and more
Even...
If we stay together
Our whole lifetime
through
I'll never get enough
I'll never get enough
I'll never get enough
of you
At any moment Barbara Jean will be
stepping out and will be greeted...
by the Chamber of Commerce,
as well as Mr. Sperry.
Mr. Sperry making his way to the
aircraft right now with a big wave.
Of course, he's the president
of Barnett Enterprises.
- We'll be talking with Mr. Sperry...
- Hey!
John Triplette?
- I'm John Triplette.
- Oh!
- How are you?
- Hey, John. How are you?
Those kids in those uniforms
are terrific.
- Hello.
- What's your name?
- Del Reese. I'm sorry. Forgive me.
- Thanks for coming out.
- It's a great idea.
- You mean the girls in the costumes.
Barbara Jean's
still on the aircraft.
We'll be awaiting her.
Thousands of people have turned out
to greet Barbara Jean...
after her arrival.
Now Haven Hamilton has just arrived,
typically dressed in white.
His white Jeep being driven today
by his son Bud.
Members of the Chamber of Commerce
are going over to Haven Hamilton.
He's greeting some of his old
friends, business acquaintances.
Autograph seekers are now
making their way over.
Barbara Jean still is
aboard the aircraft.
- Hello, Martha.
- Hi.
- How are you, Martha?
- I'm okay, but, uh...
- Pardon me?
- Listen, uh, I changed my name.
- Oh?
- It's L.A. Joan from now on.
Let me get some cigarettes.
Your Aunt Esther
wants to see you.
- She's in the hospital.
- Wait a minute.
This guy's a rock star.
Can I get your autograph?
You're Tom, aren't ya?
Tom, Bill and Mary?
Jesus, you oughta stop that diet
before you ruin yourself.
Do you believe this? They have our
album here. Hey, how's it selling?
- What's that?
- Bill, Mary and Tom.
A little slow,
but we sell mostly country.
I'm the handsome one
in the front.
I don't have my glasses on,
but I...
Wait a minute! Hal Phillip Walker
looks exactly like Connie White.
Now, Del, I like...
I like the idea of bands.
I want you to listen to
those little kids, honey.
They practiced every day
for two hours for a whole month...
just for this event.
- That's so nice.
- Isn't that cute?
- I think they're adorable.
- Pearl, shut up.
- Just like your mama, son!
- Yes, yes, I'm sure he is.
Barbara Jean, tragically burned in
an accident involving a fire baton.
She has now fully recovered,
however required to take...
- Excuse me, Barnett...
- I got no time right now!
Jesus!
I just think they're so cute,
Buddy.
Testing...
I wonder if this thing's on.
Hey... Hey, are you Tom
of Bill, Mary and Tom?
- Yeah. What's your name?
- Jamie.
You thought of voting for Walker
for president?
- I don't vote for nobody.
- Oh, come on.
Just read it.
He's got a fantastic platform.
How you doin', Sarge?
You kill anybody this week?
So beautiful.
Did you ever see
such pretty girls in your life?
Someday you're gonna be big girls
like your mommies,
and you're gonna be lookin'for
a nice, young, handsome man...
Come on, Buddy, say hello.
My son Buddy, he just graduated
from Harvard Law School...
and we're tryin' to give him
all the breaks we never got.
- Buddy, say hello to the people.
- Hi.
Thank you, Buddy.
And thank you again for comin'here
and makin'us all feel so at home.
Here she comes!
Here she comes!
Our Barbara Jean!
Get up here.
Get on
the other side.
Here's our own Barbara Jean!
May I have a word,
Barnett?
Not here.
Come on. Come on.
Who do you think you are?
Marlon Brando?
Barbara Jean, ladies and gentlemen!
- Hi!
- Oh, look at that!
Is that a sight!
Hello, Haven darling.
Hi, Bill. Hi, Mary.
Where's Tom?
- Can you take my bag?
- Sure.
- The gate.
- Then let's go meet at the gate.
- Norman, let's go to the limo.
- The limo is just outside.
Barbara Jean, for you.
- Thank you, Haven.
- Right here for the photographer.
Thank you, Tennessee Twirlers,
for coming out today,
and thank you,
Franklin High School Band.
I think you kids
get better every year.
Twirlers, let's twirl!
Oh, little beauty!
Thank you so much!
Are you gonna ride into town
with me or not?
Go on without me. I'm gonna wait,
'cause I think she's gonna sing.
Who, her?
She ain't gonna sing.
She don't sing
unless she gets paid.
I'd like to thank you for coming out
to greet me today.
It's great to be home.
It's as hot as a firecracker.
What's so funny about that?
Me and the boys are gonna be
out at the Opry this week,
and like my grandaddy
always used to say,
if you're down to the river
I hope you'll drop in.
Ohh! Yes, that's sweet.
Who writes your material, darlin'?
Barnett, who are
all those people inside there?
That's just airport security,
'cause of all the hijackers.
- Did they come to see me?
- They can see you pretty good.
Then I'd like to go in
and say hello.
Aww, that's so sweet!
Barnett,
I'm sorry, darlin'.
This is a little bit unscheduled.
She's on her way to greet some
of the fans that are inside there.
- Stepping on down with Barnett.
- Watch out for the water.
That was real nice.
Right behind, Haven Hamilton and all
the other friends, members and, uh...
She's fallen!
Harold, come on!
She's fallen somewhere down there!
If we can get down there...
Don't know how far
we can make it.
Who do you
think is running Congress?
Farmers? Engineers?
Teachers? Businessmen?
No, my friends,
Congress is run by lawyers.
A lawyer is trained for two things
and two things only:
To clarify... that's one...
and to confuse...
that's the other thing.
He does whichever
is to his client's advantage.
You ever ask a lawyer
the time of day?
He told you how to make a watch,
didn't he?
Ever ask a lawyer how to get to
Mr. Jones'house in the country?
You got lost, didn't you?
Congress is composed
of individuals.
Two hundred and eighty-eight
are lawyers.
And you wonder
what's wrong in Congress.
No wonder we often know
how to make a watch,
but we don't know
the time of day.
No wonder it takes or years...
What the hell
is the matter with you?
Yes, I'm talking about replacement...
replacing this lawyeristic,
red-taped...
and blank-taped government...
with the yes-and-no language
of farmers and teachers,
engineers and businessmen.
I'm not pessimistic
about this country.
She finally collapsed here on
the sidewalk. Sort of a faint.
That's all we've been able
to determine at this moment.
We interviewed Mr. Sperry.
He said the same thing.
Haven Hamilton
said the same thing as well.
That's about it for the moment
from Metro Airport.
For Channel Two News,
this is Bill Jenkins reporting.
Let's consider our national anthem.
Nobody knows the words.
Nobody can sing it.
Nobody understands it.
I suppose
all the lawyers supported it...
because a lawyer wrote the words
and a judge wrote the tune.
Careful, Buddy.
- Read it through carefully.
- Watch out for that truck.
And I say read it
because I know you can't sing it.
Read all four verses and you'll
understand what I'm talking about.
Yes, sir, I would support work
and vote for replacement.
Change
our national anthem...
- This is terrific, Norman.
- To something people understand,
back to something that would make
a light shine in their faces.
Hey, man, get off my car!
Don't lean on my car!
I just got this goddamn thing fixed,
so don't lean on it now.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Oh, God.
Hey, man,
get the hell off my car!
You almost made me fall!
Okay, thanks.
You got one too?
Thanks a lot. Just keep those
cards and letters comin' in, folks.
- I cannot. I feel faint.
- I'm gonna get us a Popsicle.
- H-Hello!
- Those mangled bodies.
Would you go to that Popsicle truck
and get us a couple of sweet ices?
There must be cars piled up,
one on top of the other.
- Oh, now, come on.
- I saw a leg sticking out.
This is gonna be a mess.
I don't know how long it, uh...
Can you just pull on through
where the ambulance went through?
You wanna come on in
and try it?
- What's the matter, son?
- I'm stalled.
- What did you want? Popsicle?
- I wish my cameraman had been here.
He's never around. I need something
like this for my documentary.
I need it.
It's... It's America.
Those cars
smashing into each other...
and all those
mangled corpses...
Just a minute now.
Just a minute.
Aren't there any rock stations?
Well, hard to really say.
You see,
after they opened her up...
they figured
they oughta do an exploratory.
You know, give her
kind of an overhaul.
- Twenty dollars?
- Twenty dollars.
- I'll give you five.
- No, I'll take .
You'll take ?
I'll give you ten.
I can think of
no sensible reason why New York...
must of necessity have
major crimes committed...
for every
committed in Tokyo.
- Yet these are the true victims.
- Excuse me.
Some very funny notions have
developed in American politics.
Let me see.
Um, have you any children?
Yes, I have two children.
I have a boy and a girl.
Oh, isn't that nice.
How old are they?
Twelve and eleven.
Do they want to be singers
like their mummy?
Uh, well,
my children are deaf.
They're... They are deaf.
They were born deaf.
Oh, my God, how awful.
- It's so depressing.
- Now, just a minute. That's not so.
- I wish you could see my boy.
- Oh, I couldn't.
He has the most
incredible personality.
It's the sadness of it.
See, what happened is, he made
a million dollars on a fly swatter,
because it had
a red dot in the center.
- Fly swatter?
- That's right. Just a red dot.
He was sittin' in the buffet,
he was eatin', and he saw a woman...
and she was
swattin' flies.
And, uh, she...
Uh, he said,
"What makes the difference
in fly swatters?"
'Cause it has to do with
the industrial revolution.
The thing with
these country people is,
they have
a real grassroots appeal.
Oh, hell, they got fans.
And they're the people
that elect the president.
We're gonna do
everything we can.
You line up
a lot of movie stars...
People here feel that movie stars
are eccentric and crazy.
- Communists.
- Well...
- A lot of'em are.
- It's been said.
- I want to go to the Grand Ole Opry.
- Forget that.
- 'Cause I have to have my record...
- I don't like music.
- I'm gonna go see what's goin' on.
- I have a gold record.
- It needs to be signed.
- Get away from my truck!
- Goddamn it. Sons of bitches.
- Shit.
I say, could I please speak
to Mr. Tommy Brown?
I'm sorry. What?
Is it possible to have a few words
with Mr. Tommy Brown?
I'm from the BBC. I'm doing
a documentary on Nashville.
What is the BBC?
- British Broadcasting Company.
- Oh, English.
It was called
"Wanda, Wander. "
No, that song was called
"Wonder, Wanda. "
- Wanda, wander's got me bad
- I don't have a pen.
- No... Wonder, Wanda's got me bad
- I keep travelin'
And I'm sad
Buddy, Buddy, which was it?
- I don't really know.
- Thank you, thank you.
- Goddamn it, it was "Wanda, Wander. "
- It was "Wonder, Wanda. "
- "Wanda, Wander"! "Wanda, Wander"!
- "Wonder, Wanda. "
What difference does it make?
It was a hit!
There's no breathing space.
What we need,
first and foremost,
is a common-sense approach.
Nothing complicated.
Is Mr. Brown going to...
Will he be here soon?
Yeah, he's in the back
changin'.
Whenever he's going to have an
interview, he puts his makeup on...
and likes to
get all prettied up.
That's nice.
He must be
a marvelous person...
to have all you lovely people
working for him.
I know the problems in the South.
I mean, I've heard of them.
Well, yeah.
- He's a very liberal guy.
- Oh, that's lovely.
By the way, I'd like for you
to meet his wife. This is Joy.
- Mrs. Brown?
- Yes.
You may say that I ain't free
But it don't worry me
No, it don't
Today in America,
with its unmatched resources,
it is exceedingly ridiculous,
a total absurdity...
that any citizen with any ailment,
mental or physical,
should go
medically unattended.
We're settin' up
everything for you.
- We got pictures the right height.
- Oh, yeah, the bird again.
Isn't that beautiful.
I remember when you gave that to me.
I remember I almost threw it out.
Good afternoon, girls.
I'd like you to wait
outside the room a while...
because I know Aunt Esther would
like to fix herself up a little.
I want my dog.
Where is my dog?
- I'm sorry. I've got a date.
- You do?
- I just need one shot.
- I'm sorry. Could you excuse us?
- Come right on in, sir.
- How you doin', Howard?
I'm sorry.
No press allowed.
- Put these pictures above your head.
- Fine, Buddy.
- Delbert, I got no time.
- I know, I know.
I just stopped by
to see Barbara Jean.
How you doin'?
How's lawyerin'?
Nobody pays me no mind.
I'm just like another flunky.
- Would you mind crankin' me up?
- More white carnations.
Bud, what are you doin'?
This is a hospital!
This ain't no construction site!
- I am not the press.
- Go build another chair!
Goddamn it.
I am not the press.
I am from the BBC.
Damned if I don't
keep my pledge.
- Look who's here. Mr. Brown.
- Glad you're here, but cut it short.
How do you do?
Nice to see you.
You look as beautiful
as a big black butterfly.
I'm gettin' jealous.
You better get outta here.
He's gettin'mighty jealous.
I gotta set myself up a bit. Hi.
- I need to talk to you.
- You got it.
All right, everybody.
Doctor's gotta talk turkey.
Barnett, there's somebody
I want you to meet.
- John Triplette from California.
- John Triple?
- Triplette.
- Okay. All right.
- Okay.
- He's a killer.
- Give us some good news.
- Excuse us, please.
- Are you a relative?
- No, no.
- Can you tell me how she is?
- She's fine.
It's her husband
I'm concerned about.
Now say somethin'good.
You got two seconds.
- Can I have a light?
- Excuse me?
- Can I have a light?
- Yeah, sure.
The incident you described just now
is very similar...
to what was diagnosed as
some kind of intestinal disorder.
- What's your name?
- Bud Hamilton's my name.
It's really hot here.
Esther's awake.
She's dying to see you.
I'll be there in a minute.
I'm talking to someone right now.
- I'm talking to someone.
- I beg your pardon.
That's my uncle.
I've got a sick aunt
down the hall.
I just got in from Los Angeles
a few hours ago.
- I'm L.A. Joan.
- L.A. Joan?
What do you do?
Well, I know
it sounds arrogant,
but I'm on my way to town,
if I ever make it,
to become a country-western
singer or star.
Yeah? What are you gonna do
if you don't?
If I don't? I don't kn...
Oh, I could always go into sales.
- Like ladies' clothes?
- No... I don't know.
Well, I know all about trucks,
so I'd go into trucking, I guess.
- You're kidding me.
- No, I'm not kiddin' you.
I'm in a truck enough. And I know
how to fix motors and all that.
- Nobody'd buy trucks from a girl.
- I been fixin' motors a long time.
They'd buy 'em from me
'cause I know all about motors.
Why do you say that?
See, what's happenin' is, if I can't
sell trucks and I can't go...
- Nobody'd buy a truck from a girl.
- I knew this was gonna happen.
Don't say you saw me.
Hey, you haven't seen
my wife, have ya?
- She's sort of ordinary-lookin'.
- Uh-uh.
Are you going into town?
You're not one of them
country singers, are ya?
- No. Can you give me a ride?
- All right, get in.
You look like a guy
I was in the navy with.
He wouldn't bathe, so we had to pee
in his bed to get him discharged.
Hi.
My name's Sueleen Gay.
I'm here to sing you all a couple
of songs tonight that I wrote.
I sure hope you're
gonna enjoy 'em, honey,
'cause I know I'm gonna
enjoy singin' 'em to ya.
The first one I'm gonna sing tonight
is called...
"Let Me Be The One. "
Let's go.
Oh, what about your...
your aunt and uncle?
Oh, it's cool.
I can see them anytime.
- What kind of car you got?
- I have a little... Here.
Martha!
And, uh, that...
that being true,
I would suggest, on the basis
of the first account...
Mississippi
River
Keep on flowing
Push your muddy waters
down to the sea
I'm so lonely
Rolling on this river
Old Man
Mississippi River
Carry me home
I got a cute little gal
waitin'home for me
Down in
Memphis, Tennessee
Gonna see my girl
She's a Cajun queen
Waitin'down
in New Orleans
How come you're not
wearing the blue dress?
Because I didn't want
to wear it.
You're supposed to wear
the blue dress when I wear this.
- I don't wanna dress like twins.
- We're not twins. We're a trio.
Hi, young stud.
Come in, sit down right over here.
Yeah! Whoo.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry to...
No, it's okay.
He looks like
Howdy Doody.
Okay, this is, uh...
Right here
at Deemen's Den.
- Hi, everybody! My name's Sheila.
- And my name's Patti.
And we're
the Smokey Mountain Laurel.
Oh, these troubled times
They been makin' me weary
All my toil and teardrops
make me sa-a-a-ad
Oh, these troubled times
They been makin'me weary
Still, the Lord is
the best friend I have
So I'm goin'
down to the river
Where I'm gonna
kiss my sins away
I'm goin' down
to the river
I'm a-gonna begin
a brand-new day
Sweet Jesus
He came in the morning
He didn't kiss
no women at night
Come on, Becky, let's go.
It's gettin' late.
I've gotta get up...
Sorry.
Oh! Tom!
- Yeah?
- Tom, hello.
Another one of his girlfriends.
I was looking for you.
This chap told me you were in here.
- Who are you?
- I'm Opal from the BBC. Hello.
Good evening, ladies.
You don't mind if I sit
down for a little bit.
All right, I wanna hear it some more
for my Misty Mountain Boys!
I got a couple announcements
I wanna make.
We got some stars here tonight.
- It can't be us.
- And one of'em is...
Tommy Brown's back in town!
Tommy Brown!
Stand up and show it off!
Oh, ain't he beautiful!
Tommy Brown? Tommy Brown's
the whitest nigger in town.
It's gettin' late.
I'm very sorry. I'm very sorry.
He oughta drink some of that milk!
It fits his personality!
This is not typical of Lady Pearl's
parlors, you understand.
It's not typical of Nashville.
- I hope you'll tell the other ones.
- Hey, the Oreo cookie's leavin'!
Calm down.
You're drunk.
I know I'm drunk, but he's still
the whitest nigger in town,
and I ain't gonna change my mind
about that, I'll tell you right now.
Tommy Brown. Shit.
Hey, where you goin', Tommy Brown?
Come on back in...
Hey, get your hands off...
Listen, boys!
I got two guns here!
Jesus said
it's gonna be all
Right
Well, how'd we do, Trout?
Not bad, girls. Go sit down.
I'll talk to you in a minute.
Send over a couple of beers.
Hey, Bear, how about a couple beers
for the ladies, huh?
- Okay, honey, what's your name?
- Sueleen. Sueleen Gay.
Sueleen Gay,
you're on next.
Come on, Bunkie.
One, two, three, four.
Un, doux, trois, quatre.
Testing. Testing.
I gotta go to the bathroom.
Wait for me here.
The kind of guys that
go for this Hal Phillip Walker...
Longhairs that smoke cigarettes
that look funny.
I heard this guy's
an admitted homo.
Hi, y'all.
My name's Sueleen Gay...
and I'm here to sing you all
a couple songs that I wrote.
First one I'm gonna do
is called "Let Me Be The One. "
Let me be the one
To understand you
That's awful.
Let me be the one
to lend a hand
And if you need
some kind affection
- Won't you let me give you some
- What is this?
Won't you let me
Be the one
Oh, won't you
Let me be the one
Won't you
let me be the one
When your skies
get dark and cloudy
- Won't you let me be the sun
- I'm looking for Frog.
When you're feelin'
kinda down
- And you wanna have some fun
- Um, I'm making a demo.
- You want a beer?
- No, thanks. This is business.
See, what I was wonderin'...
I'm makin' a demonstration album
at a recordin' studio.
- And, uh...
- Winifred!
- What? You...
- Goddamn it, come back here!
- No!
- Everybody
- Winifred!
- Needs to give some too
When you get tired
of pretending
- Deemen's Den.
- Is Trout around there?
- Yeah, this is Trout.
- Listen, this is, uh, Del Reese.
We're gonna have a fund-raiser,
And we need some help
with some...
- Talent?
- Yeah, talent. Right.
I tell you what I'm gonna do.
The fella I'm working with is here.
I'm gonna put him on the phone.
He can tell you what it is we need.
John Triplette's his name.
Uh, Trout.
This fella's name's Trout.
- Trout.
- Yeah.
- Hello, Trout?
- Hey, John, how are you?
- I'm fine. How are you?
- Fantastic.
Listen, as Del told you,
we're putting a smoker together.
I think next Monday night,
hopefully.
What we need is a young lady
to entertain the troops.
Hey, babes.
And then...
What are you tellin'? Huh?
Mm-hmm.
Set the table, please.
I'm sorry you got stuck in that
big traffic jam out there today.
I have got a saucy,
saucy redhead...
- Saucy.
- Who is dynamite.
Absolutely dynamite.
Everybody needs
to give some too
Why, in fact her name
is Suelynn Gay.
Well, if she's half as provocative
as her name, we're home free.
I'm sorry I sprang
this dinner on you.
I asked the man if he wanted to
come to dinner, and he said yes.
One boy pushed me out.
- Were you out there by yourself?
- Wasn't it hot?
Thought I was gonna burn up.
We got in the car
and turned on the air.
Coach said, "Go in the water. "
I said, "Okay. "
- What you tellin', Jimmy?
- Talkin' 'bout swimming class.
- He's telling about swimming class.
- Oh.
Did you swim today?
Did you learn anything?
- Huh?
- Hush! Let him tell it.
Then the coach said, "Ready?"
I said, "Yeah. Oh, boy. "
Did it how I used to.
Then I went down
to the diving board...
and went... Whoo!
And touched bottom.
And I kept goin' through.
Walked on the bottom.
And then I come out.
Then I get two cards:
"Goldfish"and...
and "Passed the test. "
How about that?
They call you Gol...
They call you Goldfish?
Goldfish.
That's it.
Oh, dynamite! Dynamite!
Sueleen,
I'm so proud of you, baby.
- Thank you.
- You knocked 'em out up there.
Oh, excuse me.
I'm sorry.
All the people were goin'crazy!
Darlin', you're outta sight!
Oh, my goodness.
Oh, that's beautiful. Honey,
it takes an attitude to be a star.
- What can I tell you?
- Do I get thejob, then?
I got you a job
while you were singin'.
You did? Ohh!
A friend of mine called.
Very heavy.
There's a party
Monday night.
The pay is not much because
it's a low-budget thing... $ .
I don't care about the money.
This must be
some sort of amateur night.
- You're gonna be a star.
- I gotta make a phone call.
I'll be right back.
They are good, babe.
Mmm, I have to get that.
- That's all right. Go on.
- Where you goin'?
Telephone.
Mmm. Hello.
- Hi. Linnea?
- Mm-hmm.
- I'm here.
- Who is it?
This is Tom.
Just a minute.
I have something in my mouth.
- I was eatin' dinner.
- You haven't changed a bit.
- Now, who is it?
- This is Tom. Don't you remember?
No, I don't believe I do.
We met in the control
room at the recording studio...
about two months ago.
- Oh, yes. How are you?
- I'm fine. How are you?
I'm just fine.
What are you doin' in Nashville?
I'm gonna do some recording.
I'm here for a couple weeks.
- I'd really like to see you.
- Come out to the house.
The children
would love to meet you.
That's not exactly
what I had in mind.
Look, I find you very attractive
and I'd like to see you.
Well, I think it'd be fine if we had
dinner some night here at the house.
- You've never met my husband Del.
- I see. You can't talk now.
I'll call you later. I'm going home.
I'll call you when I get there. Bye.
Wh... Uh, I'd like to...
Um...
All right. I'll talk to you later.
Thank you for calling.
- He's done well in those primaries.
- He sure has.
That's the key to it.
Who was it, babe?
Oh, down at
the recording studio.
I left some,
uh, music down there.
- What kind of a gun is it?
- A. Smith and Wesson special.
Uh, this particular gun's
a stainless steel gun.
Did you ever have to shoot it?
We had to shoot it
to qualify on the range,
but I've never had to
kill anyone with it.
'Course, there's been occasions
where I have had to use it to...
See ya later, alligator.
Am I too late?
Well, Esther's asleep now.
She's looking forward
to seeing you in the morning.
If the chairman
of the board of your company...
had been running your business...
the way Washington
has been running our business,
you'd be asking
a lot of questions,
and you would find out
what you already know...
we have some problems
that money alone won't solve.
Now, I know something
about money.
Anybody who grew up without it
knows a lot about money.
I know more about money
than some of the rich,
because I never had any
until I was .
I know something
of what money can do,
and more important, I know
something of what it can't do.
Does it make sense to let petroleum
giants increase prices at will,
- adding to a staggering profit...
- Watch where you're going!
But tell the little filling station
owner in his khakis...
- he can't charge one penny more?
- What's wrong with you, you dope?
To tax the salaries of people
on poverty-level income,
I don't need that shit,
you stupid...
then give back in food stamps
twice the amount of the tax.
Vote for Hal Phillip Walker!
If there's any cleaning up done,
we're going to have to do it.
The Lord is not
going to do the replacing,
and the powers that be are certainly
not going to replace themselves.
That old truth remains: There is
no such thing as a free lunch.
- Hello.
- If the books are to be balanced,
we're going to have
to balance them.
- Yes, sir.
- You've got a room for rent?
Yeah. I'm Mr. Green.
That's me. I'm Mr. Green.
- I'd like to see it.
- What's your name again?
- Kenny. Kenny Fraiser.
- All right, sir, right this way.
Just go right through.
That's your room
straight ahead there, Kenny.
My wife's been in the hospital,
so the house is a little dusty,
but there's clean sheets on the bed.
It's fine.
It's like my room at home.
And Kenny.
The toilet's
down at the end of the hall.
- You a musician?
- Yeah.
Well, now, my niece
is interested in music.
Martha!
This here is Kenny.
This is Martha.
- Hi!
- Hi.
She's from California.
- Uh, $ . ?
- That's right. $ . a week.
And you can have breakfast
with me if you want.
Of course you'll have to
help me wash the dishes.
Let me put this down
and I'll pay you.
Gonna try whatever comes my way
Gonna do
some heavy thinkin'
Good mornin'.
Barbara Jean, time to get...
- I must have the wrong room.
- I think you do.
Come on, Barbara Jean.
Time to get up. Come on.
- Hi.
- Good morning, Louise.
- Did you have a nice rest?
- Yeah. I was just having a dream.
Oh, I know the political physicians
are laughing,
but not quite as loud today
as they were yesterday.
Sing
Sing a...
Del, are... Wait a minute.
You want me
to fry you an egg?
No, honey, I'm gonna
hard-boil me a couple eggs.
All right.
Sing, sing a song
The economy's depressed, not me
My spirit's high
as it can be
And you may say
That I ain't free
But it don't worry me
It don't worry me
Wake up.
It don't worry me
You may say
that I ain't free
But it don't worry me
You say this train
- Don't give out rides
- God.
- Well, it don't worry me
- God, I thought I was in Israel.
- All the world is takin'sides
- I don't know why.
- But it don't worry me
- Certainly not the decor, was it?
Must have been dreaming.
In my empire
life is sweet
I was there for about a year
on a kibbutz.
I was feeling very romantic about
that kind of socialism at the time.
I thought I'd like
to have a bash at it.
- Hello.
- Can I talk to Linnea, please?
- Del, I'm on the phone.
- Okay.
How are you? Listen, I'm sorry
I didn't call sooner, but...
- Who is this?
- This is Tom.
Tom who?
Oh, come on.
- Who is this? Tom who?
- This is Tom. Listen...
I don't know who you are,
I don't know why you're calling,
and I want you to stop it.
- You know you want to see me.
- I never said any such thing.
And I'm not foolin'.
Don't you ever call here again!
What's goin' on... Hello? Linnea?
Hello?
Who was that, babe?
Just some crazy person
been callin' here.
Next time he calls, you tell him
you're gonna get the police on him.
Okay.
Come on. Sing
Sing a song
Make it simple to
Last your whole life long
Just sing
Sing a song
Yeah, he watched that.
How do you get outside, please?
- Dial " ."
- Oh, hi, Mr. Green.
Look at those flowers.
Did you grow those?
Esther and I did, yes.
My niece here picked 'em.
She's from California.
Oh, that's good.
They're so healthy.
Let me check and see if she's awake.
There's no reason
why I can't use the phone.
May I see your credentials?
- I'll be happy to show them to you.
- Hi.
- Holy dogshit! Look at that!
- What is that?
That must be
some friends of Buddy's.
Uh, Little Women.
Little Women!
Ever since that Easy Rider movie,
that's the kind of bike
everybody's been drivin'...
long, low, laid back in front.
- They're so dangerous, aren't they?
- They are.
Over here at Baptist Hospital
there's a whole ward of young boys,
the cutest, best-lookin' boys
you'd ever want to see,
paralyzed from the waist down.
Oh!
Excuse me.
Thank you for the ride, darling.
Break a leg.
- Have you passed the bar yet?
- Oh, yeah.
- Not that bar.
- No, I know... Excuse me.
- Well, well, well. Young Hamilton.
- How are you?
- How are you?
- Fine, fine.
Give us a kiss, love.
You're a shy young man,
aren't you?
- Is your dad around?
- Uh, yes, he is, but...
Do you think I could have
a little chat with him?
He's kinda tied up right now,
but maybe you could...
- Is your mom around?
- No. My mom is in Paris.
- This is Bergman.
- I like it.
- It's kinda nice.
- Pure, unadulterated Bergman.
It's beautiful.
You live here?
Yeah, we do.
We've been here for quite a while.
Lucky you! It's so gorgeous.
I've never seen...
Of course, the people are all wrong
for Bergman, aren't they?
Well, I suppose
you're interested in horses.
Uh, yeah.
I like horses. Sure.
Honey, you should arrange for him
to visit one of our horse shows.
Haven breeds those famous Tennessee
Walkers you've heard about.
- Oh, really?
- Oh, he knows all about Walkers.
That is not the kind of walker
I had in mind.
- That's very fast.
- We have to be.
Well, she had this
most horrible accident.
- Hi, Marie. How are you?
- How are you?
She got a lick on the head
gettin' into one of those tiny cars.
Her daughter's car.
This happened
almost a year ago.
No one had any idea this was gonna
develop into such a horrible thing.
Mr., uh, Triplette,
I'm sorry ol' Delbert told you Haven
would appear at the political rally.
He knows better than that.
We'd never let Haven Hamilton
take sides politically.
Uh, you understand we give
contributions to everybody.
And they are not puny contributions.
Only time I ever went
hog-wild around the bend...
was for the Kennedy boys.
But they were different.
Oh, yes, ma'am, they were.
That's a fact.
Excuse me a minute.
Thank you, Brenda.
Is this party
somebody's birthday, or...
No, this is, uh...
I'm sure you've seen Haven Hamilton.
No, I never heard of him.
Do we get out here?
Let me, uh...
Let me get that door.
Listen, I wanted to ask...
Would it be all right
if I asked Mr. Gould a question?
You wanna ask me something?
We're gonna be riding back with you.
Could we wait until then?
I just wanted to know what
you were doing in Nashville.
I'm just coming to a party.
What are you doing in Nashville?
- Well, I'm stuck here.
- Yeah?
We'll see you in a bit.
Haven is singing tonight
at the Grand Ole Opry,
and this is just a previous
sort of party for his friends.
Right. He's got a lot
of photographers here, huh?
What are you doing here, anyway?
I came on a date, and now
I'm goin' to the Grand Ole Opry.
How you gon' go
to the Grand Ole Opry?
You came with a date.
Is he gonna take you?
Huh? No, he...
They left.
No, I'm promoting a movie,
but I'm not making one.
Are you a personal friend
of Mr. Hamilton's?
Yeah, we're good friends.
Um, no, I'm not a singer.
I'm a businessman.
I take care of
all Dad's business.
- You're a businessman?
- Yeah.
With that face?
You can't be a businessman.
Yeah, I... I work
with, uh, Dad's company.
I take care of his records.
Anything that comes in
comes though me.
- Do you like it?
- Yeah, it's great. It really is.
Dad's wanted me to do that
all his life.
I'd be the last guy in the world
to try and change your mind...
about something
you don't want to do,
but I'd like to explain
a couple things...
about what we're trying to do
in this campaign...
before you discount it altogether.
And somehow the blood began
to drain into behind her eyeball,
and the pressure caused her eye
just to bulge out.
It was just awful-lookin'. Everybody
thought she was gonna lose her eye.
We still don't
know how it's gon' come out.
I don't know how you're gonna
feel about this, but...
Walker thinks that you'd make
a fine governor in this state.
He thinks the time's right.
He thinks the people of Tennessee
love you. He knows they do.
He knows how you feel about them.
And he wants you to know that,
should the time come
you want to run,
he'll be there with his organization
to back you all the way.
Elliot Gould,
Delbert and Linnea Reese.
- Mrs. Reese.
- And Mrs. Dorster. Elliot Gould.
You gonna be
at Opryland tonight?
Well, I... I hadn't
thought I would be.
Well, I'm gonna be
at Opryland tonight.
Well, sure, I'll be there.
Yes, I guess you will.
And that's when
I'll give you my decision.
Well, thank you so much
for thinking about it. Terrific.
- Is Haven around?
- He's right around the corner.
Would you check and see
if it's all right if we come?
I see him with other people.
Thank you, Del.
- Do you want to be a singer?
- Oh, I...
- Look at me.
- I think everybody...
Dad wouldn't hear of it.
But you want to be a singer.
- I know him. That's Elliot Gould.
- This guy?
- He's a well-known actor.
- Oh, yes, with the curly hair.
Yeah. He was married
to Barbra Streisand.
- He's grossin' real big.
- You gotta be kiddin' me.
No.
That girl that sang "People. "
I just shook the man's hand
like he was somebody off the street.
Oh, Delbert. Bring him on over.
- Yes, sir, I'll...
- Oh, Delbert!
We all walk on the street,
Delbert.
Oh, Delbert, Delbert.
Listen, you all come over.
Haven wants to meet you right away.
I didn't realize who you were
when we first were introduced here.
You wrote a song?
Yeah, I wrote one song
in my life.
- I'd love to hear it.
- You sure?
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
The sound of her hello
Soft and tenderly
The way she lights my morning
With her smile
And when she says I need you
Oh, I really need you
It makes my life so worthwhile
'Cause it comes from the heart
Of a gentle woman
It comes from the soul
Of an angel from above
And I'll stay in the heart
- Of a gentle...
- That's Elliot Gould!
Ha!
It's Elliot Gould!
Well, let me meet
the movie star!
- Lady Pearl, Elliot Gould.
- Howdy!
- Haven Hamilton.
- Well, how do you do, Mr. Gould?
It's so nice to meet you. Welcome
to Nashville and to my lovely home.
- Elliot! Elliot Gould!
- What brings you here?
- Oh, hello. Well, I'm just, uh...
- Hello!
- You look marvelous.
- Who is this?
- Another of your unexpected guests?
- I'm Opal from the BBC.
Remember the Cannes Film Festival?
No, of course you wouldn't.
- Is she connected with Mr. Gould?
- No, she's not.
What are you doing...
What am I doing in Nashville?
- Excuse me...
- I'm doing this documentary...
Excuse me, but Mr. Gould
does not give interviews.
I don't know who you are
or what you're doing here,
but I will not tolerate rudeness in
the presence of a star... two stars.
- We met at the Cannes...
- Just take her, Delbert. Good-bye.
Mr. Hamilton!
- It's gonna be all right. Listen...
- Who are you?
- Well, that's the price of success.
- It certainly is.
Go get a Goo Goo,
friends, and settle back...
for of the goodest minutes
in radio...
the Goo Goo Grand Ole Opry!
It's sent your way
by the makers of Goo Goo,
the goodest candy bar
in the world,
and King Leo pure stick candy,
the candy that roars with flavor.
Now a big welcome,
if you please,
for the Goo Goo man of the hour,
Tommy Brown!
I've been goin' down that
long lonesome road, babe
And I've been doin' it
for a while, yeah
I've been goin' down that
long lonesome road, babe
Lookin' for
a special smile
Now, I worked the bars
New York to Frisco
But I could never
make it pay
You know how money goes
It slips right through
your fingers
One more dollar
One more day
The bluebird
He has no money
The bluebird
He has no kin
The bluebird
He wears no time clock
He answers to the wind
That's as far as I can take you.
- Okay, this is it, all right.
- Yeah, all right.
- It's the new one!
- Yeah, I know.
- It's the new one, all right.
- Have you got the time?
Uh, yeah, it's, uh...
I shoved a hundred million
quarters in that jukebox
I've served a barrelful of beer
Now I've listened to
Some troubles in my lifetime
I've seen a lot of grown men cry
You know that old tune called
"Over the Rainbow"
Well, if the bluebird flies
then why can't I
I'm Del Reese, and I'm goin' back
to Haven Hamilton's group.
- Remember me?
- This young lady's with me here.
I'm being interviewed by her.
And I really gotta
go to the bathroom.
Time clock
He answers to the wind
He answers
To
The wind
Oh, yeah!
Thank you!
Thank you, Tommy.
Beautiful job, as always.
Say, Harold Weakly,
have you been on vacation yet?
No, I've been busier than a puppy
in a room full of rubber balls.
If you're like me, all that hustling
and bustling makes you want...
to let the world go by while you
enjoy a Goo Goo candy cluster.
Hey, Steve.
She's with me.
- Excuse me. Can I help you?
- Oh, I'm with these people here.
- Do you have a backstage pass?
- They didn't need a pass.
You need a pass
to get backstage.
- I never get enough
- Goo Goo's the perfect cluster...
- I always want more and more
- when you need quick energy.
- Even if we stay together
- Any time is Goo Goo time.
- Our whole lifetime through
- Pack Goo Goo in your lunch box.
I'll never get enough
I'll never get enough
I'll never get enough
of you
Go get a Goo Goo,
the South's favorite piece of candy
for years.
- You ready to do the song?
- Right.
Go get a Goo Goo
It's good
I don't know about killin' 'em.
They're already dead.
They're lucky to be alive.
Haven Hamilton!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Now, now.
Well, I want to thank you
for that wonderful, warm welcome.
I'm sure you meant to share it with
Bud Hamilton, my son, who's here.
Stand up, Bud!
Isn't he somethin'else?
Yes, indeed.
Yes, indeed.
God bless you, and thank you so much
for that warm welcome.
- How tall is that guy?
- Who?
- Haven.
- I'd like to do a treat for you.
- A brand-new song.
- Don't ever ask him that, John.
Unpack your bags
And try not to cry
I can't leave my wife
There's three reasons why
There's Jimmy
And Kathy
And sweet Lorelei
For the sake of the children
We must say good-bye
For the sake of the children
We must say good-bye
'Cause Jimmy's been wishin'
That I'd take him fishin'
His Little League pitchin'
Is somethin' to see
And Kathy's now
She's my little queen now
And I've gotta see
Who her beau's gonna be
So unpack your bags
And try not to cry
- I can't leave my wife
- That's funny, because...
Oh, look! Connie White!
Connie White.
How are you, honey?
You remember
you signed my album?
Well, thank you
for coming to the show.
I have a song I wrote.
I'll give you a call tomorrow.
We'll just chat,
you know, and...
You remember what I wrote on
the program? Will you remember?
- "I'm your friend. Connie White. "
- I like your dress.
I'm gonna get one too. But I
like the gold one with the be...
You know, when you...
when you have no waist.
Lori's just walkin'
She just started talkin'
And "Daddy"'s the first word
That she ever said
So unpack your bags
And try not to cry
I can't leave my wife
There's three reasons why
There's Jimmy
And Kathy
And sweet Lorelei
For the sake of the children
We must say good-bye
For the sake of the children
We must say good-bye
For the sake of the children
We must say good-bye
Thank you.
Thank you.
He's got the entire galaxy
on the back of his shirt.
And now I'd like to do
a special old favorite,
the song that got me started in this
business that's been so kind to me,
a song you've loved
through the years...
and one I'm sure
you're gonna love tonight.
"Keep A-Goin"'!
Thank you.
Well, if you strike
a thorn on a rose
Keep a-goin'
And if it hails
or if it snows
Keep a-goin'
Ain't no use
to sit and whine
'Cause a fish
ain't on your line
Bait your hook
and keep a-tryin'
Keep a-goin'
When the weather
kills your crop
Keep a-goin'
Why, it takes work
to reach the top
Keep a-goin'
Well, now, Wilton's goin'!
Come on, Wilton!
Let's hear it for Wilton!
I think Joe's gonna be goin'soon.
You gettin'ready, Joe?
Yeah, Joe's goin'.
Now everybody's goin'!
And if the doctor
says you're through
Keep a-goin'
Why, he's a human
just like you
Keep a-goin'
Ain't no law
says you must die
Wipe them tears
from off your eye
Give ol' life another try
Keep a-goin'
Ain't no law says you must die
Wipe them tears
from off your eye
Trust the Good Lord
up on high
He'll help
Keep a-goin'
Keep a-goin'
Yes, sir!
Well, thank you.
Thank you and God love you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
We want to send very special wishes
and greetings to Barbara Jean.
I know most of you read...
that she collapsed
out at the airport.
She's in the hospital. She's in
Vanderbilt Hospital recuperating.
Barnett tells me that
she really cried real tears...
because she couldn't be here
with you tonight.
But I hope you'll send some letters
and best wishes and prayers to her.
That's Vanderbilt Hospital,
Nashville, Tennessee, .
And you tell her
Haven told you to write.
Now, as a special
stand-in for her,
we have her dear friend
Connie White,
who got out of the dentist's chair
this morning...
where she was having
some root canal work...
and came all the way out here
to sing for you.
Miss Connie White, who's a friend
not only of Barbara Jean's...
but a friend of yours and mine.
A wonderful singer
in her own way...
Miss Connie White!
Come on out, Connie!
- Hi, Del. How are you?
- I want you to meet John Triplette.
You look so good.
Wonderful!
Isn't she lovely, folks?
Isn't she beautiful?
He's gonna do some things.
We'll talk about it later.
Nice seein' you.
Well, who do we have here?
- What is your name, honey?
- Paul Harris.
Paul Harris.
He's he says.
And what's your name, honey?
Last time I saw a dress like that,
I was headin' to the junior prom.
You boys havin'a good time tonight?
Girl fell out of the car.
I want you to study real hard,
because remember, any one of you
can grow up to be the president.
Well, I'd like to go
to Memphis
But I don't know the way
And I'd like to tell you
how I feel
But I don't know
what to say
And I'd love to go
to heaven
But I forgot how to pray
So just help me keep from
Slidin' down some more
When I tried
to get back to him
I got lost on the way
I'd like to start again
tomorrow
But I, I don't know
what day it is
And I'd sure like to love you
If you'd show me the way
And just help me keep from
Slidin' down some more
Well, I don't know
what it's like out there
But in here
it's gettin'darker
I got a lot of things to share
But it sure is gettin' late
Well, I'd like to give you
all I got
But I don't know what that is
And I'd like to take you
with me
But I don't know where that is
And I know there must be
somethin' someplace
And some way to live
So just help me keep from
Slidin' down some more
Just help me keep from
Slidin' down some more
Some more
I know you love me
When I'm happy
And I know you love me
when I shine
But will you love me
In the mornin'
When the baby makes you get up
One more time
Thank you!
I know you love me
when I feel good
Love me every time
I make you laugh
Turn that off.
Okay. One more minute, darlin'.
- Right now.
- She'll be through in a moment.
I want you to turn it off
right now!
It bothers me.
It bothers me too,
but I gotta listen.
Why?
I gotta go to the King of the Road
and thank her for you.
- Thank her?
- I gotta know what songs she sang.
You can ask anybody.
You can call. You can send flowers.
You can send a message.
Come on.
Don't get upset now.
You're makin' me
ruin my nail polish job.
Do I tell you how to sing,
darlin'? Hmm?
Have I ever told you
how to sing a song?
That ain't the point.
I know why you're goin' over there.
Don't tell me
how to run your life.
- I been doin' pretty good with it.
- You go... Wh...
Let's just calm down. We're both
gettin' on each other's nerves.
You're goin' to the King of the Road
so you can hobnob with everybody.
- So I can do what? "Hobnob"?
- I ain't got no friends.
I gotta sit here
in this goddamn hospital.
They're all gonna talk
about how I'm a nut.
I ain't doin' no hobnobbin'.
Now whoa, whoa, whoa.
"Barbara Jean
had another collapse. "
You know what?
While you're at it, why don't you
take her some of my flowers?
Are you through?
No, I ain't. Take her this nice
black one. That'll cheer her up.
- Why don't you try these.
- Are you through?
- And these.
- I said, are you through?
And why don't you try these!
Are you through, I said?
Are you throu...
Are you goin' nutsy on me? 'Cause I
won't stand for that, Barbara Jean.
Huh? You havin' one of them
nervous breakdowns again?
- Huh?
- No.
You coulda fooled me, 'cause
it looks like you're ready for it.
Now, you just settle down
and shape up. You understand?
The only reason I'm goin' over there
is 'cause I love you.
I don't love to go over there
and hobnob with them phonies.
Why do you make me
raise my voice to you?
Why do you put us both
through this?
You all right?
Come on, now. Let's have
a little smile for Barnett.
- I'm tired of this place.
- Come on, now.
Now get up.
You help me, I help you.
All right? Come on, now.
Come on.
Now, where's Barnett goin'?
Where am I goin'?
Hmm?
- King of the Road.
- Why am I goin' there?
To see Connie.
And why am I doin' that?
To thank her
for singin' at the Opry.
- Now, who am I doin' that for?
- You're doin' it for me.
That's right.
Now, I'm walkin' out now.
What do you say as I walk out?
You say "bye-bye. "
Bye.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye.
Barnett?
- Hello, Ben.
- Hi.
Aren't they wonderful?
So marvelous.
I'm really upset.
Wh... What are you
upset about?
She's really late.
- Well, she's not that late.
- No, she's late.
- Thank you.
- He's right over there.
I thought you were
very, very good tonight.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
She sounded beautiful.
She looked beautiful.
Well, Sue,
I didn't expect to see you.
- I want you to meet Julie Christie.
- Well, excuse my back.
- Welcome to Nashville.
- Doctor Zhivago.
- She the one who got off the train?
- Will you be here a while?
- No, just passing through.
- Oh, please sit down.
- Have a drink with us.
- We're not staying.
You're English, aren't you?
I could tell.
- This is Connie White.
- Hi.
- This is such a coincidence.
- I'm Del Reese.
I was talkin' about the
Christy Minstrels just this mornin',
and now we have
Julie Christie here.
- I met you with Peter Finch.
- Oh, yeah?
- You won't sit down and stay?
- No, thank you.
- Julie has a friend at the Exit Inn.
- I hope your stay is very nice.
I hope you'll remember what film
facilities we have in Nashville.
- Yeah, sure.
- Thank you. Good to see you.
- Have a lovely evening. Good-bye.
- Bye-bye.
Nice to see you.
Well, isn't that an honor.
- What a surprise. Julie Christie.
- Who's Julie Christie?
"Who's Julie Christie?" She's
a star. She's won an Academy Award.
- Oh!
- No, I'm not kiddin'.
For one of those pictures.
I don't know which one.
- She's done so many.
- Isn't he a gem?
- He's got the worst sense of humor.
- No, she's lovely.
Oh, come on.
She can't even comb her hair.
Oh, you've got
a Hal Phillip Walker button.
No, it's Kennedy.
Isn't that rather ancient?
Strange. I thought that everybody
in the South didn't go for Kennedy.
It's John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Well, he...
he took the whole South,
except for Tennessee,
Florida, Kentucky.
And there's a reason
he didn't take Tennessee.
But he got votes,
and the asshole
got votes.
I just can tell.
It's somethin'.
It's the way
she looks at me.
It's that feeling you get that
you know there's somethin' going on.
And if I do a performance when
I'm too tired, it doesn't have...
- Hey, you all. How are you, Connie?
- Hi, Barnett.
Now, the problem we got here...
is anti-Catholicism.
These dumbheads around here,
they're all...
Baptists and whatever,
I don't know.
Even to teach 'em
to make change over the bar...
you gotta crack their skulls,
let alone teach 'em
to vote for the Catholic...
just because he happens to be
the better man.
Here, this is just somethin'...
somethin' that Barbara Jean
told me to pick up for you.
- You shouldn't have done that.
- I know, but she told me.
- I told her I shouldn't have.
- Did you get the flowers we sent?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Thank you very much.
As most of you
might have noticed,
we have a celebrity
with us tonight.
If we get our hands together,
we might could get a song.
- Miss Connie White.
- From the goodness of her heart.
What do you want, a few bucks?
You holdin' out
for somethin' better?
You're a real sweetie pie.
Thank you very much.
That's what I love about this place.
Can you see me?
I can't see you.
- That was a nice gesture.
- I'm gonna sing something you know.
- What was a nice gesture?
- Join me on the choruses.
Don't seem to be appreciated,
do it?
"Rolling Stone. "
Thank you.
You walked me, sweet Joshua
Down the country lane
You brought me, sweet Joshua
Where the roses grow so tall
You lay me down, Joshua
And you promised me your name
And after that
That was all
That was all
Everybody!
Rolling stone, Rolling stone
- Gathers no moss
- Who wrote that song, a kid?
And all I remember
the next few days was...
I was just lookin' at that TV set
and seein' it all,
seein' that great
fat-bellied sheriff...
sayin',
"Ruby, you son of a bitch. "
And Oswald...
and her in her little pink suit.
But neither
Does it gather
Any love
Here's the best.
Here's Vassar.
And then comes Bobby.
Oh, I worked for him.
- Don't you think we...
- I worked all over the country.
I worked out in California,
out in Stockton.
Bobby came here and spoke,
he went down to Memphis,
and then he even went out
to Stockton, California...
and spoke off the Santa Fe train
at the old Santa Fe depot.
Oh, he was...
a beautiful man.
He was not much like,
uh, John, you know.
He was more puny-like.
But all the time
I was workin' for him...
I was just so scared.
Inside, you know?
Just scared.
Haven, do you think we could
get Connie out to the rally?
Connie White and Barbara Jean never
appear on the same stage together.
Connie can replace Barbara Jean,
but that's it.
As for Haven Hamilton, well,
I'll appear wherever
Barbara Jean appears.
I got a good mind
to take you outside.
With my wife in the hospital,
you puttin' that shit on me?
- Calm down, enjoy the show.
- Barnett's angry.
Okay.
Walk with me, Joshua
- And I will say that I am lame
- I think she's, uh...
I think she's having an affair here.
I really do.
The child that we have made
- But I'll never let him mention
- Oh, God.
- Your name
- Are you off. You're way off.
You are way, way off.
Are you kidding?
Some people take
And never give
- I love you.
- But all men die
And so must live
For a while
And life is short
- I love you.
- A precious gift
This thing we have
- Please don't let it drift away
- I love you.
Honey, won't you
let me be your friend
I love you.
I love you.
Honey, won't you
let me try again
Honey, won't you
let me be your friend
For another day
When we've been there
Ten thousand years
Bright, shining
As the sun
We've no less days
To sing God's praise
Than when
We'd first
Begun
And on the profession
of your faith,
I baptize you, my sister,
in the name of the Father
and of the Son...
and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen.
I'm newborn again
Been a long time talkin'
'Bout my trials here below
Free grace
Free grace
Free grace, sinner
Free grace
Free grace
I'm newborn again
And He walks with me
And He talks with me
And he tells me
I am His own
And the joy we share
As we tarry there
None other
Has ever
Known
He speaks
and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet
The birds hush their singing
And the melody
That He gave to me
Within my heart
Is ringin'
You know, my wife Esther is on
the same floor with Barbara Jean.
- And He walks with me
- Oh, and Esther and I had a son...
- And He talks with me
- in the service too.
- Yes, sir.
- Oh, not the army. It was the navy.
And He tells me
I am His own
We lost him in the South Pacific.
We don't know how.
- And thejoy we share
- I'm sorry.
- World War II.
- Yes, sir.
As we tarry there
None other
Has ever
Known
I'm wandering in a graveyard.
The dead here have no crosses,
nor tombstones, nor wreaths
to sing of their past glory,
but lie in rotting,
decaying, rusty heaps,
their innards ripped out
by greedy, vulturous hands.
Their vast, vacant skeletons...
sadly sighing to the sky.
The rust on their bodies...
is the color of dried blood.
Dried blood.
I'm reminded of...
of an elephant's
secret burial ground.
Yes.
Cette aire de mystère.
Cette essence de I'irréel.
These cars
are trying to communicate.
O cars, are you trying
to tell me something?
Are you trying to
convey to me some secret...
What... Excuse me?
Oh, excuse me.
I thought I was completely alone.
How embarrassing.
Oh, you're a musician!
The economy's depressed, not me
You may say that I ain't free
But it don't
Worry
Me
Let's have some applause
for Miss Maisie Hoy.
Miss Albuquerque?
Hi, Frog.
This is with gestures.
Miss Jill Brown
on the track in number .
The youngsters will be eligible...
to apply for a gas-powered mini-bike
and a helmet.
You wanna talk about yesterday?
Get up, goddamn it!
Fucker.
You wanna talk about yesterday?
Do you wanna talk about yesterday
or not? What, are you...
Shit.
Come out of there!
You leave me alone!
Come out of there!
Come on!
Look, I know what's...
Come on!
For Christ's sake, what...
Now, you...
What are you doing? Do you wanna
talk about yesterday or not?
Oh, that's terrific.
Hey, that's great. Hey, terrific.
Oh, thanks. My turtle.
Thanks a lot.
Look, just relax!
Look, I know what's goin' on.
Great.
House detective.
Bill, hi.
I'm John Triplette.
Am I early?
I called you this morning.
Oh, yeah. The guy from TV.
Come on in.
Sure.
Just... We're just
cleanin' up here.
You know the...
- Sunday morning blues.
- Would you hold this?
- Sure.
- Thanks.
Let me just move this over here.
- Is this your new album?
- Yeah. That's our only album.
It's a very good one, though.
I've heard it. It's terrific.
- I'm really sorry about the mess.
- Oh, that's all right.
You oughta see my room.
We had a little party last night.
Had a pretty good time too.
Uh, I wanted to, um,
tell you a couple things about what
we're trying to do with this show.
- Can I get you a drink?
- No, no, I'm fine.
I don't wanna take up
much of your time.
I just wanna tell you a little bit
about what we're trying to do.
I know you're astute politically,
and I'm certainly not here
to sell you a bill of goods.
- Don't care about politics.
- No politics? Okay, great.
Well, then, I've got a problem
that could work to your advantage.
As you know, this redneck music
is very popular right now.
I've got an awful lot of these
local yokels on the bill singing...
- Your basic country folk.
- Country crapola. Right.
So I think, uh...
What I'm going for
is a broader appeal.
Which is where we fit in.
I want to give it more
than just this Southern thing.
And I think that
a really hip group like yours...
could walk off with the evening.
Yeah. Probably the only
rock group on the...
- Absolutely.
- Sounds good.
- Sounds inviting.
- Yeah.
And you do get a big audience
from these country guys.
Is this just network, or...
It's better than network.
It's syndicated.
They'll be showing it
for a year and a half.
- Your glasses, sweetheart.
- Oh, thanks.
This is my wife Mary.
This is John Triplette.
Nice to meet you.
Go ahead.
He's, uh, he's the fella
from the television show...
that they're doing
for Hal Phillip Walker.
That political thing going on.
He's offered us a spot.
You're doing some great promotion.
All those buttons and...
- Oh, yeah, thank you. I'm trying.
- Bumper stickers.
Anyway, we got a great time spot
on this gala,
and we're gonna walk away
with the show, John says.
We can't vote for him.
We're registered Democrats.
Besides, he's a little crazy,
isn't he?
Well, they're all
a little crazy, Mary.
- I'll drink to that.
- That's the name of the game.
But I think the thing that you
should consider is your future.
It would give you a great shot.
But it doesn't make any difference.
We're registered Democrats.
Well, I'm a registered Democrat.
The only reason
we're registered Democrats...
is because your father's
a registered Democrat...
and his father's
a registered Democrat.
Well, Tom's a registered Democrat,
and he wouldn't do it.
It's not my way
To take your hand if I'm...
- Hi, Tom.
- Hi, Norman. How you doin'?
Good. I'm sure glad you called.
Is there anything I can...
- Sit down.
- Okay.
Whew.
- You have any speckled birds?
- What?
You know, L.A. Turnarounds.
Uppers.
Uh, no, no, I, uh...
But I know where
to get some grass.
- No, thanks. I don't need any grass.
- Okay.
- Uh, can I ask you a question?
- Mm-hmm.
Is there something...
Are you angry at Bill?
- No.
- Oh.
'Cause I, I, uh...
You know, I, uh...
Bill and Mary
and you and, uh...
Well, Bill, uh...
I mean, Bill seems to be, um...
Uh...
- I'm just confused.
- Mmm.
- Uh...
- Here.
- Why don't you write yourself a hit.
- Okay.
- Hello.
- Can I talk to Cherry, please?
She's in bed with R.Y.
You wanna talk to R.Y.?
- I'd rather talk to her, if I could.
- Who is this?
This is Frank, one of the cooks
at the restaurant.
Are you a Jehovah's Witness?
Does it
make sense that the churches...
should remain untaxed
on their vast holdings of land...
and corporate investments?
Does it make sense that
a multimillion-dollar income...
should go untaxed
year after year?
No, all will not be easy,
but we will bask
in the satisfaction...
of having done
what we should have done.
And if we don't
get it done today,
we may run out of tomorrows.
The buses!
The buses are empty...
and look almost menacing,
threatening,
as so many yellow dragons
watching me...
with their hollow, vacant eyes.
I wonder how many little
black and white children...
have yellow nightmares,
their own special brand of fear
for the yellow peril...
I can't have...
I can't start...
Damn it, it's got to be more...
positive.
No, more negative.
Start again.
Yellow is the color of caution.
No.
Yellow is the color of cowardice.
Yellow is the color of sunshine.
And yet I see
very little sunshine...
in the lives of all the little
black and white children.
I see their lives, rather,
as a study in grayness,
a mixture of black and...
Oh, Christ, no.
That's fascist.
Yellow! Yellow, yellow, yellow.
Yellow fever.
We'll be able to talk about it.
They're checkin' out now.
- Get with him before he leaves.
- What about the place?
- It's not bad at all.
- Think it'll work out?
It's got this bizarre stage
that drops out of the ceiling.
They're gettin' out this mornin'.
- The place is very confused.
- Bye-bye!
- Is the place out there okay?
- Bye-bye, bye-bye.
Wait a minute.
Here we go.
Uh, Barnett!
Phone's for you.
- Is it important, or what?
- Bye, girls.
- Hello.
- Hello, Barnett. John Triplette.
- Who?
- Hello! Are you going home?
Mr. Green, how are you?
I'm goin' home.
- I'm glad to hear that.
- Thank you. How is Mrs. Green?
She's fine, and she's gonna be
thrilled to hear I saw you again.
Give her my very best.
And is she takin' her vitamin E?
- Got 'em right here.
- All right. Good for you.
You take care, darlin'.
Bye-bye.
All right, come on.
Let's get her on there.
- Lucky for you. Whoo!
- As long as I'm done
- Gonna buy me a pistol
- All right, get in.
We gotta go with those
white horseshoes, huh?
We're gonna live with those
for infamy.
Take that cortege
on the other elevator.
- Didn't the doctor get ahold of you?
- No more calls, Delbert.
I'm really sorry
I have to tell you this.
Mrs. Green expired this morning.
What?
Mrs. Green died this morning.
Wait right here.
Let me go get the doctor.
Mr. Green?
Mr. Green, you know,
my mama saved her life.
They used to live next door to each
other. My mama put out the flames.
She always loved Barbara Jean
more than anything.
She's still keepin'
a scrapbook on her.
The only thing she said to me
when I joined up was,
"When you're doin' your travels,
I want you to see Barbara Jean.
Don't say nothin' about me.
Just see Barbara Jean. "
So that's what I been doin'.
Now I'm gonna go over to Opryland
and hear her sing.
Give my best to your wife, now.
Wait a minute. Don't laugh.
Let me just... I have a theory
about political assassination.
You see, I believe
people like Madame Pearl...
and all these people here
in this country who carry guns...
are the real assassins.
Because, you see,
they stimulate other people...
who are perhaps innocent...
and who eventually
are the ones who pull the trigger.
- Ma?
- Kenny? Where are you, Kenny?
- I'm in Nashville. How are you?
- I was so worried.
- There's no reason to worry.
- Well, I haven't been able to sleep.
I had to take some of that Ny Quil
so I could go to sleep.
- Puts you right out.
- Did it help?
Yes, it did.
Where are you staying in Nashville?
- I'm staying at a rooming house.
- Who you talkin' to?
- It's my mother.
- Who are you talking to, Kenny?
A girl that lives
in the rooming house.
Who owns that rooming house?
- Her uncle.
- A man owns the rooming house?
Well, it can't be very clean.
- Don't be silly.
- I bet the sheets aren't clean.
In the South
you can pick up this parasite...
- Joan, put that down, please!
- Kenny, listen...
- Just a minute.
- I wanted to look at your fiddle.
Kenny! You can get this
parasite fungus in the South.
It's very difficult to get rid of.
When are you coming home?
I don't know.
A couple of weeks.
You left your blue suit
hanging in the closet.
I don't need my suit.
I would really like you to
get home as soon as you can.
Mother, just listen to me.
Kenny, don't you talk to me
in that tone of voice.
I love you too, Mama.
I really do.
I'll see you soon.
Bye-bye.
Let's find Barnett,
hope he's not in a bad mood.
Hi. How are you?
- Hey, Barnett!
- I'm obliged to give them...
- Hey, Barnett.
- What do you want now?
This guy wants me to do four shows.
What do you want?
Don't let her do too much.
How you hangin'?
- You feelin' better now?
- Yeah, I feel swell.
We gotta talk to you.
We're gonna do a show.
Okay, now, John's doing this show.
Haven's gonna do it.
We want Barbara Jean to headline it.
- Unbelievable.
- Now wait a second, man.
I wish they wouldn't rush us.
Get a shot.
It's national TVfor this candidate
Hal Phillip Walker.
We don't want her to make
any political statement.
What do you think
her bein' there's gonna be?
- Ain't that a political statement?
- People haven't seen her.
No, fellas.
Don't take it personal.
No politics, no government,
no nothin'.
- All right? Okay?
- All right.
- I heard you all out.
- Hello, boys. How's it goin'?
I believe I met you before
in the hospital.
Look at that. Didn't Jewel
show you how to do her hair?
- Come on, darlin'.
- How do you do, honey?
- No pictures.
- I'm all excited.
- How do you feel?
- I feel great.
I told the band you'd start off
with the cowboy song.
- Forget it.
- No, John, just leave it to me.
He can take a flying leap.
I'm gonna stay after him
like a rodent, man.
He's got a tape deck
in his tractor
And he listens
to the local news
He finds out where
the bass are bitin'
While he's plowin'
to the country blues
He was a cowboy
and he knew I loved him well
A cowboy's secrets
you never tell
No, there's nothin'
like the lovin'
Of a hard-drivin'cowboy man
He's got a tape deck
in his tractor
While he's plowing up
his dad