All language subtitles for Broken Poet.Eng

- Hello?
- Hello, Meg?

It's me,

Kathy Madison.

I hope you're awake, girl.

It's almost midday,
for God's sake.

Of course, I'm awake.

Barely, I'd say.

Listen, Meg, I need you
in my office in about an hour.

Can you make that?

Of course.

But why?

What's up?

I'll be waiting.

Don't be long.

♪ Naked telephone poles

♪ Can't describe

♪ The way I'm feeling
about you tonight

♪ And a feeling on my back
Like an old brown jacket

♪ Like to stay in school
but I just can't hack it

♪ And I'm out on the street

♪ And I'm feeling like dirt

♪ She's afraid to get married

♪ Because she knows
it's going to hurt

♪ And I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last
of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll
is here to stay

♪ But who will be
left to play

♪ Well, I dreamed
I saw the king in a '53 Chevy

♪ Had a band on his mind

♪ And his hands
looked pretty heavy

♪ And he rolled down his window
I guess to say hi

♪ But I couldn't see his face

♪ 'Cause of
the purple haze inside

♪ He was born to be the king,
he was born to be the man

♪ And he died
though he was holy

♪ Although I doubt
he'd understand

♪ When I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last
of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll
is here to stay

♪ But who will be
left to play

♪ Yeah, yeah

♪ Adolescent pre-drug habit

♪ If it means guitar
he's gotta have it

♪ And you got your ax
and you got your group

♪ And your old man thinks
it's a waste of loot

♪ And you wait all week
for a Sullivan show

♪ And you see that's right
where you wanna go

♪ And your homework
is never complete

♪ You don't care

♪ 'Cause you have
got the beat... ♪

Hey, Meg.

Glad you made it.

Hi, Kathy is in there?

- Can I go in?
- One moment, please.

Ms. Madison?

- Meg is here.
- Send her in.

Hi, Kathy.

Isn't that The Words
on the cover there?

Funny, I was just listening
to them.

He was like a god
once upon a time.

A fallen god, I'm afraid.

Well, a rock god, nonetheless.

In fact, The Words
are more popular now

than when Jake Lion was alive.

Do you remember
that article you wrote

about The Words

and all that rock music
from the '70s

when I first took over
the magazine from my father?

Well, I dug it out of the vault.

Wow. That was a long time ago.

My first piece
for Rolling Stone.

Are you still into Jake Lion
and The Words?

Like any rock lover should.

You want to meet him?

Are you nuts?

He has been dead
for over 40 years.

Well, that's what they say.

You know, when they
first came to Paris,

my father did a special edition
just on him,

put him on the cover.

Yes, I wasn't born yet.

That was the end of The Words.

Yeah. They tried to replace him,

but it was like putting
someone other than Mick Jagger

to front the Stones.

True.

But the point is, Jake is dead.

He jumped into the Seine
in front of a ton of people.

Really well.

And I never understood why

a rock star like him
would commit suicide.

Rock star vertigo, maybe.

Listen, Meg,

do you know anything
about The Phantom of the Opera?

I know it was
a French boring story

we had to learn in school.

Why?

Well, just think about it.

I have a couple
of important meetings,

but I'll meet you here,

at midnight.

The Class.

What the hell is The Class?

Well, you'll find out
when you get there.

♪ The mother

♪ Of the outlaw

♪ Thinks about the time

♪ He had the mumps

♪ And she's really

♪ Very sorry

♪ And she hopes
this has nothing to do

♪ With the way
she brought him up

♪ And the outlaw

♪ He lies wounded

♪ As the doctor gives
the police sergeant a nod

♪ And the last words

♪ He was saying

♪ Something about

♪ I do believe in God

♪ And who

♪ Divides the oceans

♪ When a generation
lost its place

♪ And who

♪ Sets the motion

♪ Of the human race ♪

Rum and Coke, please.

Coming right up.

Are you an actor?

What?

Have you seen me in something?

No, but honestly,

I never knew a bartender
who wasn't an actor.

Do you know
anything about theatre?

I know I've done
a lot of auditions.

So, you know
Phantom of the Opera.

Is it still on Broadway?

Mm. That's one I've never
auditioned for, sorry.

But you know the story.

Let me see.

The Phantom is a guy in a mask

and he lives
in the Paris sewers

when he is not swinging
from Opera chandeliers.

And he is pissed off,

'cause he is a great composer
and he got ripped off.

Or is that Cats?

Uh-huh.

Thanks a lot.

And good luck.

Thanks.

Kathy?

What?

I don't...

Kathy.

Kathy!

Excuse me.

Do you know Plynth the Persian?

Plynth?

That's him right over there.

Hey, Plynth!

Got a lady here
who wants to talk to ya.

Are you Plynth the Persian?

Yeah. What can I do for you?

I just spoke with Kathy Madison
on the phone.

She told me you maybe have
something to tell me?

Oh.

I was talking to her
about Jake Lion.

I was his personal roadie.

Used to help him on stage
when he was too drunk to walk.

And I was with him in The Words

the year he disappeared.

And?

Well,

like I told Kathy,

Jake Lion is alive

and only I know where he is.

That's bullshit.

Jake Lion is dead
for, what, 40 years?

You know, you're cute.

And you're a liar.

I never lie.

Except about the size
of my dick.

So, finally, what's the story?

Well, here it is.

I'm finishing up a European tour
with Vampire Weekend,

and I got a day off in Paris.

I'm on the metro.

Give me a Diet Coke, Rick.

The train pulls into
Pere-Lachaise.

That's the big cemetery.

And I started hearing
Jake Lion's voice.

Loud,

clear,

and live.

And I knew that voice.

It gave me goosebumps.

There was no mistaking it.
It was Jake.

So, you saw a ghost.

Shit like that happens
all the time,

especially when
you are high enough.

I've been sober for 20 years.

And I knew Jake Lion
better than anyone.

But why you didn't
go back to see him?

I did go back the next morning.

Couldn't find him.

Then we left Paris.
I mean, I was on tour.

But maybe it was, I don't know,

someone who wanted to be him

or an imitator.
Or, I don't know...

No way. No way.

I was with Jake Lion
and The Words

until the very end.

Did a three-month tour
around the States

before he split to Paris.

He was planning a new album

and he was writing new songs
like crazy.

And nobody ever heard him sing
those new songs but me.

But, what does
that really prove?

Prove?

He was singing
one of those new songs

when I saw him on the subway.
That's what it proves.

Are you Meg Trudeau,
by any chance?

I am Meg Trudeau.

Why?

Somebody left
something for you earlier.

Tickets for Paris?

Why? I don't want
to go back there.

My God, it's not
my home anymore.

Merde!

♪ You know my secret

♪ In a way
I just try to be free ♪

I just received a message
from Kathy Madison

to come and to see you
before my travelling in Paris.

Good morning, Mr. Springsteen.

Good morning. Welcome to
the great state of New Jersey.

Thank you.

So, it seems Kathy thinks

you can bring Jake Lion
back to life.

That would be a good trick.
He's been gone for quite a while.

But how did you meet him?

We met in the early '70s.

We were probably 22 years old.

Two of us were just kids.

He was with
his group, The Words,

and I was

solo act at the time.

But his style was...

Was more like... I think
they signed the two of us

to be new Dylans together
actually, at the time.

That was Everybody's
Looking For Somebody.

And, uh... Around 1972.

And did you play
some music with him?

Not too much.

Jake let me open for him.

I opened for him a few times.

And... Which was pretty nice

because there wasn't
a lot of people letting us

open for 'em in those days.

- Yes.
- And...

But we hung around together
quite a bit and...

I've... Just somebody
I've felt really close to.

You know, I've missed him.

And, what do you remember
about him?

What do you remember?

What can you tell me
about what was he like?

Jake was...

Even back then, I would say,
he was a little more miserable

than most artists, you know?

But he was a sweet guy.

He always had a...
He had a sweet heart.

And,

an incredible lyricist.

And really,

just a great frontman,
you know?

Really though, my wife actually

knew him better than I did.

'Cause she sang...
Before she sang with the E-Street Band,

she sang backup in Jake's band
for quite a while.

But he just disappeared
like that.

That was one of
the strangest things, you know?

Uh, and the strange...

It was just as he was

becoming really successful.

- Mmm.
- You know?

And, I mean,
it's not for everybody,

but he'd done all the hard work.

- Mm-hmm.
- He had already done the hard work.

And, once he got there,
for some reason,

- he slipped off the map, you know?
- Yeah.

And, I heard it was Paris,

and I heard
he jumped off a bridge.

I don't know
what happened to him.

Yeah, it's really strange.

- Hi, Patti. I'm Meg.
- Hi. Hi, Meg.

I work with Kathy Madison.

I have some questions.

Jake Lion disappeared like that.

Yeah. I hadn't seen him
in a long time,

but, um, I heard that he...

Well, he jumped off a bridge
in Paris.

Um, I wasn't singing with him
at the time.

I had left the band, The Words,

way before that.

So you were not there
when he jumped into the river.

No.

And when was the last time
you saw him?

The last time I saw him,
he was happy.

I think it was more of his...

He didn't like
what came along with it.

Like fame. I think fame felt

very disruptive to him,

and made him go really inward.

But, if we were touring
and on the bus with him,

he'd playing and singing
and having the greatest time.

Yes.

But I heard, mm,

and I saw
in an interview of Jake,

and he said it was easier
for him to confront a failure

than to deal with success.

What do you think about that?

- It's...
- It's complicated,

but I... I do think
music was very natural to him

and that was his safe spot.
His own music.

But, doing it in public,

and then, having the public
be part of that equation,

felt...

I think it just never felt
comfortable to him.

He was just never
really comfortable with it.

Whatever the wolf
at the door was for him,

it seemed to exist
when he was with his audience.

- He was just...
- Yeah, right?

He was just more private
than most, you know,

for, considering...

for a job where you're...

putting yourself out in public
on a daily basis.

But why do you think he
could have committed suicide?

For me, I mean,
I have my struggles with it.

You know? And most musicians
or artists do.

But at the same time,
I was determined, you know?

I felt our band was good enough
that we deserved an audience.

And...

So, I just... I followed...

I followed that path.

And I just think
it was a lot easier for me

than it was for Jake.

You know, for some reason,

Jake's, whatever his
inner demons were,

or whatever
you want to call them,

he was a lot more ambivalent

about the kind of success
he was able to have.

♪ I knew my love was true

♪ Truer than I knew

♪ And only afterwards

♪ I was wounded by my words

♪ How badly I was hurt

♪ Tears in my ears
For the things I said

♪ And the poison going
round my head

♪ Making friends
with the dead

♪ Making friends
with the dead...

♪ From the moment of my birth

♪ When I landed on this earth

♪ And I crawled
straight ahead

♪ Or to you was I led

♪ Making friends
with the dead

♪ Making friends
with the dead

♪ Are you my friend

♪ Or my mirror?

♪ If you're my friend

♪ Come nearer

♪ Make it clearer

♪ I knew my love was true

♪ And my desire to

♪ Take you in my arms

♪ Protect you from harm

♪ From everything
That comes your way

♪ Are you here?

♪ Will you stay?

♪ I'm not asking you anyway

♪ I'm just waiting
for a brand new day

♪ Or whatever else instead

♪ Making friends
with the dead

♪ Making friends
with the dead

♪ Making friends
with the dead

♪ Making friends
with the dead ♪

Meg Trudeau, I'm Joe Shipers.

Nice to hear from you.

I guess Kathy Madison
got in touch?

Yes, she did.

Pretty wild idea,
if you ask me.

Probably a waste
of Kathy Madison's money.

Although, I guess
she can afford it.

So, I take it you don't think

Jake Lion could
actually be alive and well

and living in Paris?

Isn't that what they said
about Jacques Brel?

Are you free for dinner?

I'll tell you
exactly what I think

and what I know.

Hmm.

So, you're English.

Correct! What gave me away,
the accent?

I've been here so long,
I thought I sounded French.

So, why Paris?

Wine, women,
and song, I guess.

Come on.

I was working
for a label in London,

and they needed someone in the
international department who spoke English.

So, in Paris, je suis
Anglais, je parle Anglais.

Been here ever since.

And you worked with Jake Lion.

I was supposed to be
his liaison here in Paris.

Make sure he didn't
get into too much trouble.

And he threw himself
into a river?

I hate to say it,

but you didn't do
too good a job.

You think so?
I fucked up, did I?

Yeah, maybe not.

But there were lots of other
people there when he did it.

- And you weren't there.
- No. Not at that moment.

So I don't really know
what happened.

I'm asking because there still
seems to be some questions

about whether his body
was even found or not.

The answer is yes and no.

What do you mean?

It's not really
a dinner conversation.

I've got a strong stomach.

Come on.

Okay.

So, a corpse
bobs to the surface

about a year later,
in terrible condition.

Eyes gone, nose gone.
You don't want to know.

There's more bodies floating in
the Seine than you would imagine.

Suicides?

Yeah. For lonely people,
the river is a friend.

So, how did this particular body
become Jake Lion?

Simple, really.

Someone at that morgue
had to identify the corpse.

Jake Lion's name
was among the missing.

Voila! Case closed.

And that's the body buried
at Pere-Lachaise?

Exactement.

But apparently,
he had a brother

who came over
to identify the body, right?

Yeah. I think the record company
had something to do with that,

but I don't know the details.

It was above my paygrade.

The record company?

Yeah. Jake Lion dead meant
lots of records could be sold.

Jake Lion just missing?

Meant nothing.

And the record label, the company
I was working for here in Paris,

they paid for the burial

and they gave Jake's brother,
who is broke,

quite a lot of money
to sign off on the royalties.

Win-win situation.

For everyone but Jake Lion.

But still, nobody understands

why this guy
would take his own life.

Including me.

It wasn't even drugs,
so why do you think he did it?

Honestly, I don't know.

But I do remember

there was an insurance policy.

Our head office
in the USA canceled it

because rumor had it,

Jake had a terminal illness,

was dying,

and his brother
was the beneficiary.

I do remember that.

Be that as it may,

we decided on this side of the
pond, to keep paying the insurance.

But why did you guys do that?

Because Paris
isn't New York, is it?

Speaking of which,

you should let me
show you around Paris.

I hope you take
better care of me

than you did Jake Lion.

Oh, I can guarantee you that.

♪ Sometimes I see
that you and me

♪ Are worlds and worlds apart

♪ Life moves so fast

♪ As we try to get past

♪ The mountains
in front of our hearts

♪ When I'm behind you

♪ And you're behind me

♪ And we're some kind
of team now

♪ In spite of what we see

♪ So let me in
when you're happy

♪ Let me in when you're sad

♪ Let me in
when you're the best one

♪ Let me in when you're bad

♪ Let me in when I need you

♪ Let me in
when you need me... ♪

It's so beautiful.

I never could believe

that the Phantom
actually lived there.

I think he lives
on Broadway now.

Kathy Madison thinks Jake has
something to do with the Phantom.

Like he is a Phantom?

Like there is a mystery
I have to solve.

Hmm.

If Jake Lion is alive,
the only mystery is

why that bloke
is not in Beverly Hills

hanging out by a swimming pool.

Maybe he didn't want all that.

You're saying a metro
is a cooler place to hang out?

Well, you know,
he came from the military.

What do you mean?

I was googling him last night.

Divorced parents,
father in the army,

a brother somewhere,
messed up.

If you were Jake Lion,
wouldn't you have resurfaced?

Why now?

Take a victory lap,
reap the rewards

instead of playing
in a Paris metro,

if that's where he actually is.

Well, that's better than living
down in the sewer

like the Phantom.

I know where
the Phantom used to live.

Tell me where you used to live.

Believe me, I've been there.

What do you mean?

I kind of lived
in the depths myself.

You see, I lost both
of my parents too soon.

I felt lost, too.

And there was a man

who took me under his wings

and turned my nosedive

into a pretty painful
crash landing,

so to speak.

For that reason,

I need time to feel safe.

♪ You wanna dance?

♪ Go pay the piper

♪ And let the passion

♪ Take you higher

♪ Coming down

♪ Real life
can seem so bland... ♪

I think I should just
go back to New York, Joe.

I've been searching
the metro for days,

but I can't look
in every station.

That would take forever.

Listen, I have
an idea for you.

There's a bar up in Pigalle.

It's where all
the buskers hang out.

Why don't you go up there
and see what you can find out?

You want to tag along?

Not really.

I've got too much work.

And I think you'll do
better up there on your own.

Wear a short skirt.

Fuck you.

Hey, mate, pour me a beer.

Excuse me. Do you play
in the metro?

Sometimes. Today I did.

Not much money there anymore.

Chinese don't go for my music,
I'm afraid.

What kind of music do you play?

Flamenco.

But heavy metal flamenco,
like Morente.

Okay.

I'm looking for a musician
who plays in the metro.

American guy.

Looks like a holdout
from the '70s.

He plays guitar. Long hair.

Sounds like me.

Yeah, something like you.

Well, there is this guy.

I sometimes hear him
at Pere-Lachaise on Fridays.

- What's today?
- Thursday.

Try at around 9:00,

when everyone is going to work.

- That's the best time.
- I will. Thanks a lot.

Save your change,

your beer is on me.

Gracias, guapa.

Tell me,

why are you looking for him?

I'm carrying his baby,
what else?

♪ And every step of the way

♪ You'll have
something to say

♪ To justify your time

♪ And save your place in line

♪ An adolescent complaint

♪ You think you are
what you ain't

♪ Hold on to that thought

♪ See what your god has wrought

♪ You start a sentence with I

♪ I, I, I, I

♪ So get me out of this place

♪ Back into the human race

♪ Across the finish line

♪ So many left behind

♪ So many things undone

♪ By the prodigal son

♪ I got a new guitar

♪ It's gonna take me far

♪ Tear down this wall

♪ Seven miles tall

♪ The golden ratio

♪ Go, go, go, go, go, go, go

♪ No time to explain

♪ I'm running from the pain

♪ And you're the reason
I'm here

♪ To do the things
that I fear

♪ I'm your mystery man

♪ And you're the queen of Siam

♪ Tick tock, tick tock...

♪ I'm your mystery man

♪ You're the queen of Siam

♪ Hold on to that thought

♪ What your god has wrought

♪ Tick tock, tick tock

♪ Tick tock, tick tock... ♪

That's American money, honey.

Maybe you're gonna need that
when you get home.

Sorry, I don't have any euros,

and I suppose you don't take
American Express?

Sure.

Amex, Mastercard, Visa.

You give me the card,
I'll take it with me.

Can I talk to you
for a moment?

I don't know.

I'm kind of busy now,

can't you see?

Can't leave
the store unattended.

So, can I offer you a drink?

I already have a drink.

You want some?

But I'd really like to ask you
a few questions.

Yeah?

Questions about what?

About the old times,

Jake.

I don't know what old times
you might be referring to,

and my name
is not Jake either.

So why don't you just get on,
move along,

and go visit
Jim Morrison's grave

with the rest of the tourists?

I am not a tourist,

I'm a journalist.

And I'm here to write a story.

I don't care who you are
or what you do.

And I suppose you're
just one more American

poking her nose
into other people's business.

Now, if you want
to buy me a drink,

I might accept your hospitality.

But if you call me
Jake again,

I might slit
your pretty little throat.

I don't have a lot to lose
at this point.

You got a temper.

- Sometimes.
- Okay.

I'm sorry if I offended you.

Let's start over.

I'm Meg Trudeau,

and I write
for Rolling Stone magazine.

And I think you have a great
voice, whoever you are.

A real music lover, eh?

Yes, I like music,

and I write about music,

especially your kind of music.

Hold on, you've got some kind
of a French accent.

Are you bullshitting me?

Not at all. I am French.

But I work in New York,
I live in New York.

In fact, I wish I was
in New York now.

Well, then I'd say

you're some kind of mixed up,
shook up girl.

Sounds like
the title of a song.

It is. Willy DeVille.

- Dead now.
- Should have known.

You said something
about buying me a drink?

Mm-hmm.

Let's go.

I got it.

What do you want?

Okay.

No, only for today.

Do you know Jake Lion?

I know he's dead.

Buried over there.

Next to his buddy, Jim Morrison.

Like I said,

you can go pay him a visit
if you want.

I'm sure he'd be thrilled
if you sit on his...

grave.

He threw himself into the
Seine, didn't he?

That's right.

But they didn't bring him
to Pere-Lachaise

until a year later.

The river takes its time
burping up its dead.

So,
you seem to know a lot about him.

Jesus Christ!
You almost stabbed me

when I mentioned his name.

I don't like being disturbed
when I'm working.

And there's something else.

Jake Lion, he was my brother.

So, you are the brother
the record company paid off?

I'm the only brother
Jake Lion ever had.

And I drank that money away
a long time ago.

I'm Erik Lion.

- So, what are you doing here?
- What do you think?

Playing my guitar in the metro.

You're not too observant for a journalist, are you?

I've been living in Paris
for 40 years.

Came over

when they finally found
Jake's body.

Someone had to identify it.

And that someone was me,

his brother, Erik.

Got it?

Oh, shit.

This is not going to go
down well at Rolling Stone.

Kathy won't be happy at all.

- Kathy Madison?
- You knew her?

Not me.

But I knew that her and Jake were
more than friends at some point.

Mind you, personally,

I never went
for those rich chicks

pretending to be hippies.

Used to call them
"Trust fund babes."

Funny that Kathy never told me
Jake's brother is alive.

Or maybe I've been dead
a long time too,

'cause no one has heard
from me in years.

I'm like a ghost.

Like the Phantom of the Opera?

Yeah.

Like that guy who put on a mask,

hid from the world,

because he was so fucking ugly

and deformed.

He was a genius

but nobody cared.

And Kathy Madison,

the rock 'n roll heiress,

has sent you here
to find Jake Lion.

What, does she still got
a thing for him?

Or is it just, uh...

necrophilia or some shit?

Someone told us he was alive

and he saw him here, in Paris,

but it might be you
that he saw.

Who told you that crap?

A guy called Plynth.

Apparently, he was a roadie
for The Words.

Plynth the Persian,
Jake's nanny.

He told us that he heard you
singing a song of Jake

that had never been recorded.

In fact, something he wrote
shortly before he died.

Okay.

Now, I'm going to tell you
something very few people know.

It was me who taught Jake
how to write songs,

how to write lyrics,

how to put them with the
chords, all of that shit.

In fact, most of those
The Words songs

were co-composed by both of us.

I knew those songs
better than anybody.

And, in fact,

years after I left the band,

and before Jake killed himself,

he would send me cassettes
of those new songs

to approve or improve.

Don't I have a right
to sing them?

Looks like you
just blew my Pulitzer Prize.

Sorry.

Hey, Max, la note.

So, what now?

I got an idea.

How about the story of Jake Lion
told by his brother?

That wouldn't be
too bad an angle either.

Why the fuck
would I want to do that?

Let his poor soul
rest in peace.

Isn't that what he wanted?

Look,

everybody thinks Jake
went crazy for no reason.

Maybe you could throw
a light on that.

Like a fresh insight
on an old story.

There's nothing fresh
about a dead man.

I'm willing to pay you
for your time.

But that's an insight
that could interest me.

How long are you
going to be here?

Three more days.

Okay.

Here's the deal.

You got three appointments

at the place and the time

I say.

But what you gotta do now...

Alright.

By the way,
do you live near here?

A place I could visit?

No way.

Where I live has got
nothing to do with Jake Lion.

And the last thing I need

is Kathy Madison
knocking on my door.

I was hoping you'd say
that you lived in the cemetery.

Another good angle
for the story.

Brilliant angle.

I gotta go.

What did you say
your name was, again?

Meg Trudeau.

Okay, Meg Trudeau,

I'll see you tomorrow.

Notre-Dame.

In the garden, in the back.

Five o'clock, sharp.

Don't be late.

Don't bring anyone.

And no photos

or I'm gone.

Just one question
before you go.

Come on,
I gave you an advance.

What happened to your legs?

My legs?

I guess I missed my polio shot.

And you believe him?

I mean, I believe
he's not Jake Lion.

This guy's not a rock star,
he never was.

He is just playing
for change in the metro.

But he could be Jake's brother.

The story kind of makes sense.

That's not what I mean.

I mean, how do you know
he's not just some guy

playing the guitar
in the metro,

nothing to do with Jake Lion
or his brother? Just a nobody.

I don't think he is a nobody.

I think he is somebody
with a story to tell.

Are you sure?

I'm not. But actually,
you knew him.

You should come along
with me next time.

No excuses.

♪ Are you feeling
that down today?

♪ Is there nothing
anybody can say?

♪ Is there not one place
where you feel comfortable

♪ Put your feet up
and feel full of what life is?

♪ And are you feeling
that the future has passed?

♪ And left you in its path

♪ Like a hurricane
through a Florida town

♪ Where all the tall trees
just fell down

♪ And are you feeling
that you just can't move

♪ That you got
nothing left to prove

♪ And that you passed
the test

♪ You lasted
longer than the rest

♪ In the open field

♪ Where the lightning
had the best chance

♪ Of getting hit

♪ Of getting blissed-out

♪ In the land of Nod

♪ Of getting blissed-out

♪ In the land of Nod

♪ Of getting blissed-out

♪ In the land

♪ Blissed-out in the land

♪ Blissed-out in the land

♪ Of Nod ♪

You frightened me.

I've been waiting an hour.

I've always been here.

I tried to blend in
with the gargoyles,

on top of the church.

- Do you mind if I record our conversation?
- Oh, no.

- No way.
- Why not?

Liabilities.

Liabilities of what?

Claims, lawsuits.

You know,
sometimes I drink too much.

Really?

You could have fooled me.

And I might say something
I shouldn't say.

And if that goes down
on a tape recorder...

You remember what happened
to President Nixon.

What happened to Nixon?

No. Nothing.

Okay. I'll try to get down
everything you say

as accurately I can.

I hope I can at least

take some notes?

Yeah, as long
as there is no microphone

hidden in your pen.

One, two, three.

So,

what did Jake look like

when you went
to identify his body?

Hmm.

Nice first question.

Well, let's just say that
being underwater for a year

didn't do much
for his complexion.

Not much was left of his face.

But he broke his arm
when we were kids,

fell from a tree.

And I could still see
the scar there.

So, that kind of nailed it,

and I signed off
on some bullshit papers,

put his body in my backpack,
and walked out.

Really?

No. Jesus Christ.

We buried him in Pere-Lachaise

'cause his friend said
he liked to hang out there.

I think the record company
pulled some strings

to get him in there.

And when that was all done,
you just stayed in Paris?

Because there was no reason
to go home again.

The United States
is not the best place

for a disabled person.

If you're not Superman,
you're kind of screwed.

I inherited his guitar,

and the record company gave me
some cash to keep me quiet.

Quiet about what?

Oh, I mean, I signed off
on his royalties,

promised not to
bother them anymore.

And Paris became your home.

A home

implies some kind of stability,

so I wouldn't say that.

Come on, let's take a walk.

Do your legs bother you?

No, but sitting next to
this damn church does.

So, what kind of guy was Jake?

Jake?

He didn't say much

even when he was a kid.

But I remember him saying
to me once

that his songs

knew more about him

than he knew about his songs.

For some reason,
I imagined him as a tough guy.

But things got to him
all the same.

I mean, don't things
get to everyone?

You know,

to be a rock star,

you need strong ears

and a thick skin.

But brains, talent...

that's optional.

So, what's so great
about playing in the metro?

What's so great about playing
in Madison Square Garden?

Did you ever play
in Madison Square Garden?

Uh, no. Not me.

But I saw Jake play there.

And all he could see
was the first four rows.

And that was full
of music business people.

And he didn't like that.

Well, Jake said that when you
first get into the business,

you know, you're so impressed

by these big shot executives

'cause you think

they control your life.

But then,

one day you realize

you want to play
for the real people.

Are you talking about you
or about Jake now?

What's the difference?

There is no music
without business.

Sounds like a typical
loser's philosophy to me.

You know what?

I think you're trying
to provoke me.

That was Jake's thing.

I was never into that.

So, Jake wanted the stardom.

Well, he fell for the glitter
and the gloom like they all do.

But what he couldn't stand
were the inconsistencies.

He told me he'd be onstage

singing for
thousands of people,

and then he'd be back home,
in a hotel,

trying to find something
to watch on TV.

Said he couldn't stop
the screaming

in his ears.

Hey, bonjour, my friend.

Sacred objects.
Gateway to the soul.

Well, you were saying that
the pressure of being a star

or whatever it was
you were describing,

is what drove Jake
to commit suicide.

But, I mean,
if he didn't like it,

why didn't he just retire?

Because
if he had retired,

they never would have
forgiven him.

The press would have
hounded him forever.

But death redeems people.

To die is to be reborn.

Jake Lion is a legend now.

And he ain't never
going to grow old.

♪ She said she felt guilty
About her parents' divorce

♪ Said they blame it on her

♪ I said, of course

♪ Isn't that the way that
these things usually end?

♪ And I could have been better

♪ I could have been worse

♪ In helping her
to get rid of this curse

♪ I said, baby,
it's too late to pretend

♪ Let go, Let go

♪ Forget about everything
you used to know

♪ This world's turning
so fast

♪ We forget so slow

♪ Baby, let go ♪

You know, had Jake been a
Greek god up on Mount Olympus,

he would have been fine.

But if those gods had to
come back to Holiday Inn

after doing their god-like shit
all day long,

they would have
committed suicide too.

You see, they turned Jake
into a god,

and he was a good god.

But they didn't tell him

it's a one way ticket.

There's no way back.

The only way back

was to jump off that bridge.

So that's what he did.

Jake jumped off that bridge

so his legend would live.

You know what?

I'm getting tired.
That's all I've got for today.

I just have a couple
of more questions.

No.

No, no, no, no.

I don't have
a couple more answers.

I'll see you tomorrow,

same time.

In front of the Opera.

♪ To call you like this

♪ It's too late, I know

♪ When you gotta get up

♪ Tomorrow

♪ And yes, I guess

♪ I can agree

♪ It was bound to end

♪ You and me

♪ But that's not what

♪ I want to hear

♪ You sound so sleepy

♪ And what I fear

♪ Is soon you'll hang up

♪ And I'll be alone

♪ Just give me a minute

♪ And stay on the phone

♪ And tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Then tell me

♪ Tell me ♪

Right.

He says he is the brother.

He knows about you and Jake.

Well, he might have
mentioned it a couple of times

but I don't remember
ever meeting him.

I thought he'd disappeared
during the Vietnam War.

Just vanished
or something like that.

So, what does any of this have
to do with Phantom of the Opera?

I don't get it.

I thought it would be
a good way to frame the story.

But if Jake is dead...

Seems that way.

So, I suppose you should be
getting back to New York.

This trail is going nowhere.

Give me a few days.

I've been searching online, and there
are hundreds of photos of Jake Lion,

but hardly anything
about his brother, Erik,

aside from he is listed
as a composer along with Jake

of some of The Words' songs.

Can't you find out anything?

Well,

I'll try,

but Jake's brother
is not the story we want,

and it's not the reason
I sent you to Paris either.

No, you expected me
to find Jake Lion.

Why not?

So we beat on,

boats against the current,

borne back ceaselessly
into the past.

If you start quoting
F. Scott Fitzgerald to me,

I'm going to jump
in the river too.

♪ Tell me

♪ Let me hear the words

♪ From your mouth to my ear

♪ And I start to tremble

♪ When you feel so near

♪ Let me hear you say

♪ What I want you to say

♪ Just give me this

♪ Don't take that away

♪ Tell me you love me

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me ♪

I have a meeting this afternoon
with Erik at the Opera.

It's a good time for you to try
and see if it's really him.

Okay, I'll play spy.

And can't we go to the police
to find out the whereabouts

of this Erik Lion guy?

I've got a contact there.
I'll see what I can do.

Thank you, darling.

You know better than that.

Look at this place.

The stories it could tell.

Like the one about the Phantom.

But I believe
the Phantom of the Opera,

he was a rocker at heart.

Of course he was.

Kind of like Alice Cooper.

But the Phantom liked to play
in the opera,

and I like to play
in the metro.

And what happens if the police
catch you playing down there,

in the metro without a license?

Nothing.

They leave me alone,
Le flic, the cops.

At first, they used
to throw me out.

I'd go upstairs, I'd be back
here in five minutes.

You know, they're music lovers.

I sing them a song,
they'll leave me alone.

They only throw you out
if you can't sing.

But how did you know
I didn't have a license?

I know you went to Vietnam, too.

Clever girl.

Doing your homework.

Ooh, naughty, too.

Come with me, quickly.

Where are you taking me?

Isn't this
what you wanted to see?

The home
of the Phantom of the Opera?

I could tell you about another
monster while we're down here.

My father.

- How about that?
- Your father?

Army lifer guy, retired as
a three-star general.

Maybe that explains
why Jake was such a rebel.

That doesn't explain shit!

You wanna play the shrink
or do you want to listen?

I'm so sorry. Please, go on.

Jake and I,
we grew up on Long Island.

The old man, he was out
in Washington D.C.

One time, Jake and The Words,

they were playing a gig there.

So, Jake decided
to pay him a visit,

I don't know in hopes of what.

And you know what happened?

The old man told him
to get a haircut

and slammed the door
in his face.

And yet, you just told me that
your father had no effect on Jake.

Jake hardly reacted.

Well, he got into heroin
for a year.

But finally,

the old man,

he just disowned him.

That was a big inconsistency
for Jake.

I'm so sorry.

There's nothing
to be sorry about.

C'est la vie,
c'est la guerre.

Wait, let me help you
with your guitar.

- No, no, no.
- Give it here.

I got it.

I got it.

♪ Captain, they're calling

♪ They don't want us falling

♪ Behind

♪ There's no use in stalling

♪ There's no use in drawing

♪ A line

♪ Let's get out
of this rice paddy

♪ Before I step onto
some goddamn mine

♪ And we'll grab a jeep

♪ And watch
the fall of Saigon

♪ And, hey, girl

♪ It's over

♪ And goodbye

♪ White cliffs of Dover

♪ Sail onto free lands

♪ The boys all

♪ Come home

♪ The call girls are crying

♪ As helicopters fly
their loves away

♪ There's a panic
at the embassy

♪ A bloodbath is coming
they all say

♪ And what's come between us

♪ I try,
I just can't get it on

♪ Love has turned to politics

♪ Like the fall of Saigon ♪

- Bonjour.
- Bonjour.

Bonjour.

Let's see.

No.

I think, uh...

No.

Oh, yeah.

Will you look at this?

A smoking jacket.

Do you need a tuxedo?
What for?

I got a formal event
coming up.

So, how do I look?

You look

totally absurd.

No. But I mean in a good way.

Cool absurd.

Okay.

That's the look I'm going for.

You can pay the gentleman.

Subtract it from my fee.

- Merci.
- Merci.

So, what are we doing here?

There's going to be a concert.

For whom?

For the locals.

You're joking.

I never joke about birds.

They used to be dinosaurs once.

And?

You can be in my dream.

If I can be in yours.

Bob Dylan.

Yeah, whatever makes you happy.

I can be happy in ways
you couldn't imagine.

For instance?

Looking over Paris rooftops
at night

when the city loses
its human dimension

and everything makes sense.

Bonjour, Olivier.

Olivier...

What did you say
your name was?

- Meg.
- Meg.

Meg, Olivier.

Enchante.

Come on, let's get started.

The natives
are growing restless.

I think most of your public
are sleeping.

Even better.

Then I got nothing to lose.

Young lady, I reserve
my private booth for you.

It's booth number nine.

Merci beaucoup, monsieur.

I wish you a big success.

Huh. Success.

Had the Phantom of the Opera
stayed with his lover, Christine,

now that's what
I'd call a success.

♪ A little touch of kindness

♪ For a start

♪ A little bit of sweetness

♪ It won't tear you apart

♪ You'll be there in a minute

♪ You believe me

♪ You'll be exactly

♪ Where you want to be

♪ With a little touch
of kindness

♪ My face was disfigured

♪ At least I thought it was

♪ I was covered with shame

♪ I wasn't so tough

♪ Lost in the void

♪ Completely alone

♪ I heard your voice
in the darkness

♪ And it warmed me
to my bones

♪ A little touch of kindness

♪ For a start

♪ A little bit of sweetness

♪ It won't tear you apart

♪ You'll be there in a minute

♪ If you believe me

♪ You'll be exactly

♪ Where you want to be

♪ With a little touch
of kindness

♪ Are you misleading

♪ Or are you playing a game?

♪ Well, then,
what are the rules

♪ And does the winner
have something to gain?

♪ It's the champion season

♪ Of the utterly confused

♪ Played on a mountaintop
in India

♪ Or on the beaches
of Veracruz

♪ It's a little touch
of kindness

♪ For a start

♪ A little bit of sweetness

♪ That won't tear you apart

♪ You'll be there in a minute

♪ If you believe me

♪ You'll be exactly

♪ Where you want to be

♪ With a little touch
of kindness

♪ Station to station

♪ Across the nation

♪ Lost my religion

♪ And my superstition

♪ All right

♪ All right

♪ All right ♪

Oh, Jake,

you really put yourself through
a hard time, didn't you?

What happened yesterday?

You just disappeared.

I think he knew I was there,

and all of a sudden,
I lost trace of both of you.

He dragged me into the sewers.

He seemed to know his way
in that labyrinth.

Remember, the Phantom
of the Opera

was also called
the trap-door master.

I think that's his role-model.

He has probably been avoiding
people for a long time.

I bet he is not here legally,
whoever he is.

Did you recognize him?

Could have been Jake or anybody.

I took this photo yesterday
when he was not looking.

It shows. I can't tell if this is
Jake Lion from that lousy photograph.

My last meeting with him
is today,

and really, I don't have much things
to bring back to Rolling Stone.

It's a long story.

Yes, it's not easy to get to
know someone in two days, is it?

No, it isn't.

But, as a journalist,

I can usually find out what
makes people tick very quickly.

One interview is enough.

So, what is this Erik Lion guy
actually like?

I don't know. In fact,
I know very little about him.

I only know what he tells me
Jake was like.

He thinks he is the Phantom
of the Opera.

Do you know what the real name
of the Phantom was?

- No.
- Erik.

So, you must be the journalist.

I suppose so.

- Who are you?
- Erik isn't coming.

He's not well today.

Sometimes he drinks so much
that he can't even stand up.

Unfortunately, today
is one of those days.

So, he asked me to come instead.

My name is Christine.

- Christine?
- Yes.

Is something wrong?

No.

Yes.

Actually, he mentioned yesterday
that name.

But I need to speak with Erik.

It was our deal.

I need to know more about Jake.

Well, nobody is perfect,

darling.

Anyway, Erik and I
always speak in English.

Okay, whatever.

I think I can be of help.

Because I was there
for that terrible...

- awful night.
- The night when he...

When Jake Lion
jumped into the river.

So, what happened exactly,
that night?

Nothing happened.

One minute Jake was laughing,

and then I turn around,
and he was gone.

Like he had flown away.

How did you meet Jake?

I was his friend in Paris.

His companion.

- You mean, his lover?
- Hmm.

You get right to the point,
don't you?

Yes.

But, at first, I fell in love
with his voice.

A voice that make ends meet,

if you know what I mean.

So delicate and strong

at the same time.

Irresistibly triumphant.

You were kind of a groupie.

Say that name again,

and I'm history.

I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.

But tell me,
what happened that night?

At first, it was amusing.
We thought it was a joke.

♪ From the peninsula

♪ We stare across the bay

♪ From the peninsula... ♪

Just before that night,

Jake disappeared
for a few days.

But it wasn't the first time.

And he would always return
to my bed

without saying
where he had been.

That night,

half a dozen or so friends
had gotten together

and went for a stroll
around the river.

When I asked Jake
what he had been up to,

he said he'd been thinking about whether
he should take his own life or not.

But we all laughed

when he said
such a crazy thing.

I asked him
what he had decided to do.

♪ Meet you half way

♪ And we waited for an hour ♪

I think

he had already chosen the spot
he wanted to jump into the river.

Why do you think that?

Because, that is where
the currents are the strongest.

Weird guy, huh?

What did you all do
after he jumped?

What did we do? Well...

We stopped in a cafe
and then we all went home.

Stopped in a cafe?

Home?

But didn't you do anything?

Like call the police
or something?

No, not really.

I just went home

and waited for him
to show up again,

like usual.

Soaking wet, drunk,
and laughing.

But Jake never came back.

So, how did you end up
with Erik?

Well,

I have to admit
that at first,

Erik was a sort of substitute,

a replacement for Jake.

But,

as time went by,

you know, things happen.

I suppose coping with Erik
is not easy with his legs

and his temperament.

He is a handful.

Well, there's days
where I adore him,

and some when I don't.

Nobody is forcing me to stay,

but I do.

It's my choice.

Are they really similar?

Erik and Jake?

Well,

I'd say

they are both broken poet.

Quite moody.

For different reasons,
I suppose.

But they are both pitiful.

Well,

it's all I can tell you.

By the way, Erik told me to ask
you for the money you promised him.

Yes.

And tell him I didn't deduct
the cost of the tuxedo.

It's a gift from me.

♪ Like a crystal ship

♪ The poet's words will stay

♪ Like a teenage nymph

♪ He gave too much away

♪ They used to find him

♪ In the morning

♪ With his head held
in his hands

♪ And he'd be crying
about Lolita

♪ He said no one's
ever gonna understand... ♪

So, how's it going
with your phantom man?

He didn't show up.

Instead, a Frenchwoman, who claimed
she used to know Jake Lion turned up.

It's getting stranger
all the time.

I don't know what's real
or not.

You seem quite real to me.

Don't count on it, Joe.

You know
I'm going home tomorrow.

Where do you go?

Well, now,

I promise not to disappear
if you don't want me to,

or throw myself into the
Seine or haunt the Opera.

At least not tonight.

Didn't any alarms go off
when you were with Mr. Lion,

supposedly taking care of him?

- What are you getting at?
- You must have seen

some signs, like,
he was depressed,

or...

There was something.

I probably should have
taken it more seriously,

but at the time,
it seemed like a joke.

What are you
talking about, Joe?

There was a meeting
at the record label.

Everybody was there.
The head of the label at the time,

lots of important people.

And Jake was there?

Yeah, of course.
The meeting was about Jake.

What he was going to do.
His band, The Words, had broken up,

and now he was in Paris.

It was really about the future
of his career.

Someone made a stupid joke.

What kind of joke?

Something about...

Jim Morrison's death
being a great career move.

That's kind of funny in a way.

Well, everyone laughed but Jake.

It was kind of awkward, really.

He left, went to the toilet,

never came back.
Left us there waiting for him.

I lost him for a few days
till that night on the bridge.

And you think that might have
put the idea in his head.

I don't want
to think about that.

You know, in Paris, Meg,

it's a tradition to have
a glass of champagne

before you make love.

And, do you know, Joe,
in New York, we fuck first.

Bravo, New York.

♪ I gotta go now

♪ And try to see

♪ I'm looking for the answer

♪ I'm gonna find that key

♪ So we can escape

♪ All these bonds and chains

♪ Walk in the sun

♪ Come out of the rain

♪ And if you want to know

♪ My favorite fantasy

♪ It's an endless night

♪ Just you and me

♪ And we'd be
watching the stars

♪ And making a wish

♪ Never going to take

♪ That one last kiss

Off you go.

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Oh, let me hear the words

♪ From your mouth to my ear

♪ Then I start to tremble

♪ When you feel so near

♪ But let me hear you say

♪ What I want you to say

♪ Just give me this

♪ And don't take that away

♪ Let me hear the words

♪ From your mouth to my ear

♪ And I start to tremble

♪ When you feel so near

♪ Oh, let me
hear you say it... ♪

Hi, Meg.

Finished with Paris?

Fuck you. I'm here, you see.

So, that's all I've got, Kathy.

This guy, he says
he is Jake's crippled brother.

Also, you don't look
very convinced.

Oh, well, it might be
wishful thinking on my part,

but there has to be
more to the story than this.

I don't know.

I doubt we will be able
to find out much more.

This guy, Erik,
he is very strange.

Well, don't give up too easily.

You told me to find out
more about Erik,

so I tracked down Susan Philips.

Who is she?

Well,

apparently, Susan used to give music
lessons to Jake and his brother

when they were kids
on Long Island.

You have an appointment with her at
11:00, tomorrow morning.

You are kidding me.

Long Island?

You think this old music teacher
can contribute anything?

Why, you never know.

I mean, it may
make some kind of

baby boomer-generation story.

Those always work.

And anyway,

you may find out whether there
really are two brothers or not.

Is this like an order?

Mm-hmm.

Long Island? Really?

Yeah.

I'll send my limo
to pick you up, dear.

Feel better.

♪ I can't say that I love
this place where I live

♪ This particular
geographical location

♪ But I've grown used to it

♪ And now I miss it
when I'm away

♪ Of course, when I was a kid

♪ My father would take me
with him, down to the bowery

♪ Where the bums were

♪ And in the restaurant
supply stores

♪ He would buy
shiny steel refrigerators

♪ And deadly looking stoves

♪ While I begged him to take me to the
army navy surplus stores on Canal Street

♪ To buy big dead bullets

♪ He wore
a short corduroy jacket

♪ An informal hat
with a puff of feather

♪ And he talked with his hands
in his pants pockets

♪ Jangling change

♪ Driving in his Cadillac

♪ It was
Elvis Presley's birthday

♪ They said it on the radio

♪ My father liked Elvis,
and it was wonderful

♪ We drove
through black neighborhoods

♪ On Long Island's North Shore
when Elvis was alive

♪ My father was from Brooklyn

♪ And the Depression
left its mark

♪ From picking up coal
on the railroad tracks

♪ He didn't have
a good word to say

♪ About
Franklin Delano Roosevelt

♪ Later, I liked
elegant hotel bars

♪ Where I could drink under
F. Scott Fitzgerald's skies

♪ The coolest of the cool

♪ Never a child

♪ On Elvis Presley's birthday

♪ My dead father

♪ Jangling change

♪ This is an unreal city

♪ You can be anybody
you want to be

♪ When you're alone ♪

- Susan Philips?
- Yes, I am.

And you're Meg
from Rolling Stone.

Please, come in.
I've been expecting you.

These boys you're looking at

are Jake Lion
and his brother, Erik.

About the age they were when
they used to come to my house

for their music lessons.

I'll get some tea.

Thanks. That's really kind
of you.

What exactly did you teach them?

Like all kids at the time,

beginner guitar
and a little singing.

Jake didn't like to sing
at that age. Too shy.

That's amazing.

They look very much alike.

Physically, yes.

Blonde hair, pale skin,
skinny kids.

But very different characters.

Jake was shy and introverted,

whereas Erik was manipulative,

calculating.

He was behind all the mischief.

Were they both good musicians?

Yes. For their age and each
in his own way, of course.

Jake was more sensitive,
probably more imaginative.

Erik sang well.

And taken together,
they were quite a pair.

And,

did they get along
with each other?

Ah, adored each other.

Erik, being the older brother,
looked after his brother.

They went everywhere together.

They lived just nearby,
right down the block.

Father wasn't at home much,
him being in the military.

Got divorced, and the mother...

Well, I think,
married a car salesman.

Took them to Arizona.

I never would have heard
of him again, if...

not for Jake becoming so famous
despite his illness.

I taught dozens of kids
in my day, but those two...

But... Excuse me. What disease?

Doctor said he had
a degenerative disease

since he was very young.

Some kind of sclerosis,

that, over time,
affects mobility,

particularly in the legs.

Another reason why
Erik protected him so much.

Excuse me,
but I think you're mistaken.

It's Erik who actually
has that disease.

No, no. It was Jake.

Are you sure?

Of course I am.

Jake used to come in limping

when he came for his music
lessons, even as a child.

I see.

And what about Erik?

Erik... Rumor had it

that he followed the father
to Vietnam and never came back.

MIA.

Nobody ever heard from him again
and they never found him.

Now I hear people go there
on vacation, is that true?

I suppose.

Goddamn politicians!

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom... ♪

- Hi.
- Hey, princess.

Where is her royal highness?

Did you bring
the rest of my cash?

Well,

what happens next

depends on what you tell me now.

What are you saying?
Did you find Jake or not?

I maybe found Jake,

but the Jake I found
told me he was not Jake.

Who did he say he was?

He said he was Erik Lion,

Jake's brother.

Erik?

No fucking way.

That guy joined the army
and disappeared.

Maybe he didn't.

And he went back to Paris
to identify his brother's body.

And he just stayed there.

At least, that is what
he claims.

That's impossible.

Erik made a stopover in Paris
on his way to Vietnam.

That's when he identified
his brother's body.

After that,

I don't know what happened.

Even the army couldn't find him.

Well, the guy I met,

Jake or Erik or whoever,

drinks like a fish,

gives concerts for the pigeons
and walks with a cane.

See what I mean?

I told you
it was Jake fucking Lion!

Why do you say that?

Because it was Jake
who had that damn disease.

There was nothing wrong with Erik.
Shit, the army took him.

But, what about the body
Erik identified?

Who knows?

Probably some tramp
they fished out of the river.

But the guy with the limp
you found in the metro,

that had to be Jake.

Then, what that woman,
his music teacher,

told me must be true.

So, Jake is pretending
to be his brother.

Crazy like a fox.

This is a mind-blower.

You want something
to drink, honey?

It's on me today.
What would you like?

Rum and Coke.

Rick, rum and Coke
for the lady.

- And a...
- Diet Coke for you, Plynth?

No booze?

I'll tell you.

The famous drink liquor,

the idols drink water,

and the legends,

they don't drink nothing at all.

Well, I couldn't,
and I didn't want to believe

that this old pitiful guy I met

was actually
the mythical Jake Lion.

And when that Christine
backed up his story...

Ah!

So you met the famous Christine.

Parisian groupie par excellence.

Do you know
something about her, too?

Well, from the first time
The Words played in Paris,

she stuck to Jake
and kept buzzing around him

even when he'd tell her
to bug off.

I bet she helped to put this
whole disappearing act together.

She's a crafty one.

So, there might be
a story here after all.

How bad were his legs?

Bad. He won't be walking
for long.

You know, sweetheart,

I don't think this story
is such a great idea anymore.

What do you mean?

Don't you want
the rest of your money?

No story, no cash.

That's what Kathy Madison says.

Sure, I could use the money,

but I could also live
without it.

Shit.

Maybe we should let Jake Lion
stay a dead legend,

better than a living liar
and a cripple.

People wouldn't forgive him
for that.

And, you and I would end up
not forgiving ourselves either.

Just think about it.

How are you going to feel
when a shitload of paparazzi

descends on that metro stop,

and Jake is trying to get away
on his cane.

I want no fucking part of that.

I can't believe you.

You're not as tough
as you look.

Let the lion sleep tonight,
like the song says, remember?

♪ In the jungle,
the mighty jungle

♪ The lion sleeps tonight

♪ Naked telephone poles

♪ Can't describe

♪ The way I'm feeling
about you tonight

♪ And a feeling on my back
like an old brown jacket

♪ Like to stay in school
but I just can't hack it

♪ And I'm out on the street

♪ And I'm feeling like dirt

♪ She's afraid to get married

♪ 'Cause she knows
it's going to hurt

♪ And I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last
of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll
is here to stay

♪ But who will be
left to play

♪ Well, I dreamed
I saw the king in a '53 Chevy

♪ Had a band on his mind

♪ And his hands
looked pretty heavy... ♪

Sorry to call you so late.

Did you talk to Plynth?

Yes.

Back at the fabulous Class Bar.

I'm thinking
of becoming a regular.

So, was it Jake
or was it not Jake?

What difference does it make?

I think you always knew
the truth, anyway.

The truth was up to you to find.

Just tell me,
do we have an article?

Finally, I don't think so.

Are you sure?

Could make a great story.

Make your reputation.

Yeah, I'm sure.

Well, I guess
that's the right decision.

But it was never up to me
to make it.

Why don't you go to Paris
and see him by yourself?

For the same reason that
you're not writing the story.

By the way,
I might be going back to Paris

to spend some time.

I thought it was full
of bad memories for you.

Not so much anymore.

Well, what are you
going to do there?

I don't know.

Fall in love.

Or,

sing old songs in the metro.

♪ He was born to be the man

♪ And he died
though he was holy

♪ Although I doubt
he'd understand

♪ When I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last
of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll
is here to stay

♪ But who will be
left to play... ♪

Tell me,

is there still love between us?

It's hard to feel love
inside a grave.

Do you think that journalist
bought all of this?

I don't know.

I just hope she realized

that success is nothing
but freedom.

♪ You want to dance?

♪ Play the piper

♪ Unlock the passion

♪ Bring you higher

♪ Oh, coming down

♪ Real life

♪ It seems so bland

♪ My words like sand

♪ Slipping through

♪ Your trembling fingers

♪ And your muse is laughing

♪ While the spirit lingers

♪ A melody

♪ You know you better hold on

♪ Or it'll be gone

♪ Broken poet

♪ Broken all in two

♪ Feeling like a loser

♪ But I can't lose you

♪ Now everybody has
got their story

♪ So many heartbreaks

♪ A few moments of glory

♪ Redemption comes

♪ And you dressed up
like a fool

♪ The coolest of the cool

♪ Broken poet

♪ Broken all in two

♪ Feeling like a loser

♪ But I can't lose you

♪ Listen here, girl

♪ I could have been
a contender

♪ The world at my feet

♪ Everybody on bended knee

♪ Rhapsody, immortality

♪ Is a fantasy

♪ It isn't free

♪ It wasn't meant to be

♪ It wasn't me

♪ Why can't you see?

♪ Oh, Lord, give me peace

♪ Of your contentment

♪ Accept my fate

♪ Release me from resentment

♪ And help me find my way

♪ One more day

♪ Through the valley of gloom

♪ Back into my room

♪ Broken poet

♪ I'm broken all in two

♪ I'm feeling like a loser

♪ But I can't lose you

♪ Broken poet

♪ The joke's on me

♪ You know my secret

♪ In my way

♪ I just tried to be free ♪