All language subtitles for Grace of My Heart (1996)

[Woman] My daughter will be singing
in the competition tomorrow evening.

- Oh, June Allison.
- Oh, Loretta Young.

Her late father and I
had such high hopes for her.

But she's determined
to try to be a singer.

- I suppose she has
some talent in that area.
- [Laughs]

It's such a relief you were able
to accommodate us...

by bringing
the dresses here today.

Thank you.

Oh! Mother?
This is it.

The perfect dress.

Mother, it's a beautiful dress.
But it's not for my figure.

A well-made dress works
on any figure.

Certainly, Mother.

You're so willful, Edna.

Just like my sister,
your namesake,

where in her wild youth,
she found herself in the family way.

Your father got her a doctor
and took care of her problem.

She hemorrhaged
and was scarred inside forever.

My mother made me swear I'd name
my first daughter after Edna,

- Who could never bear children
of her own.
- [Sighs]

Turn around, Edna.

We'll take the dress she has on.

Mother, I can't sing
in a dress that doesn't fit.

Look at it.

The dress fits the occasion.

It's you who doesn't fit.

- [Sighs]
- [Sighs]

[Whispers]
All right.

♪ ♪ [Woman Singing Scales]

♪ ♪ [Singing Scales]

[Sniffling]

♪ Said the Blues ain't nothin' ♪

♪ But a woman cryin' for a man ♪

♪ I said the Blues ♪

♪ Ain't nothin' ♪ ♪

- That is such a beautiful song.
It... Sorry.
- Thank you.

- What is it?
- Somethin' I've been
singing all my life.

Spiced up a little.
[Laughs]

Boy, it's just, you sing it
like you really mean it.

What are you gonna sing?

Well, I signed up to sing
"You'll Never Walk Alone."

My mother says it's universal.

She says the personal songs
never win.

- They make people dwell on themselves.
- Oh, I don't know about that.

But I do know it's more fun
to sing a song that you like...

than to try to please everybody.

♪ Hey, there ♪

- ♪ You with the stars
in your eyes ♪
- You know that?

- Rosemary Clooney?
- ♪ Love never made
a fool of you ♪

- Yeah.
- ♪ You used to be
two eyes ♪ ♪

I mean, sing a song
that you like.

And you got a stage,
an audience...

and a real pretty dress.

The dress fits the occasion.

It's a real pretty dress.

♪ ♪ [Piano]

♪ When she wants some lovin' ♪

♪ I'm sure all you women
will understand ♪

She'll win.
She deserves it.

♪ Try to keep your man happy ♪

♪ Although you find him
real hard to please ♪

♪ Yeah ♪ ♪

- [Applause]
- [Announcer] Thank you, Miss Shelley.

And coming to the end
of the competing vocalists,

Number Nine,
Edna Buxton from Chestnut Hill.

She'll be singing
"You'll Never Walk Alone."

[Applause]

Uh, Miss Buxton
will be singing...

"Hey There."

"Hey There."

♪ ♪ [Piano]

♪ Hey there ♪

♪ You with the stars
in your eyes ♪

♪ Love never made
a fool of you ♪

♪ You used to be two eyes ♪

♪ Hey there ♪

♪ You on that
high-flying cloud ♪

♪ Though he won't throw
a crumb to you ♪

♪ You think someday
he'll come to you ♪

♪ Better forget him ♪

♪ Him with his nose in the air ♪

♪ He has you dancing
on a string ♪

♪ Break it and he won't care ♪

♪ Won't you take this advice ♪

♪ I offer ♪

♪ Like a mother ♪

♪ Or are you
not seeing things too clear ♪

♪ Are you too much
in love to hear ♪

♪ Is it all going in one ear ♪

♪ And out ♪

♪ The other ♪ ♪

[Applause, Cheering]

And finally, first prize,

a recording contract
with McMartin Records,

goes to Miss Edna Buxton.

Let's give her a big hand,
ladies and gentlemen.

- [Cheering, Applause]
- Congratulations.

- [Traffic Noises]
- [Woman] ♪ How can I reach you ♪

♪ When you're living ♪

- ♪ In another world ♪
- [Man] What are you
going to be singing?

- [Edna] I'm going
to sing "In Another World."
- Who wrote it?

- I did.
- Oh, okay.
Go ahead, any time.

♪ If I could just tell you ♪

♪ How my poor heart ♪

♪ Is breaking ♪

♪ Maybe you'd think twice ♪

♪ 'Bout the road ♪

♪ That you're taking ♪

♪ Maybe you would look back ♪

♪ And change your mind ♪

♪ Maybe you would remember ♪

♪ Love you left behind ♪

♪ All I have is the memory ♪

♪ Of when I was your girl ♪

♪ How can I reach you ♪

♪ When you're living
in another world ♪

♪ When you're living
in another world ♪

♪ Living in another world ♪ ♪

Yeah, um...

Thank you.
Uh, come on in.

Nice...
Nice, uh, voice.

- Thank you.
- But the thing of it is, toots,
we already have someone...

- Someone just like me.
- Just like you.

- [Laughing]
- [Crying] Excuse me.

- Sit on the, uh...
- I'm sorry.

- Do you want, uh...
- That's my only copy.

- [Tape Flapping]
- Wait, it's ruining my song!

- Sit, sit, sit, sit.
- [Sobbing]

- Boy, you've been at this awhile, huh?
- I'm sorry.

It's just that, you know,
I came here 11 months ago.

Supposed to be
this big recording contract.

And I won this prize.
Just all a big publicity stunt.

Bunch of rats. Was it...
It was McMartin, right?

Yeah, it was.
It was McMartin.

And now I've been pounding
the pavement ever since,

only to be told that you just
already have someone like me.

You want me to, uh,
really burst your bubble?

[Sobbing]
Oh, sure. Go ahead.

You know, start bursting.

Well, not only do we all
already have someone like you,

but we all
are trying to get rid...

of the someones like you
we already have.

- [Both Laughing]
- Yeah, well.

See, the thing of it is, toots, the
Patti Page/Peggy Lee days, they're over.

- Yeah.
- Lady singers, they just don't sell.

Male vocal groups,
that's the ticket these days.

Yeah. You know,
I wrote it.

- It's very nicely written.
It, uh, really is.
- Thank you.

- Okay, I guess I'll just...
- Okay?

Take my burst bubble
and just-just... I don't know.

- Sorry about that.
- No, that's...

- [Sniffles]
- You know, wait a second.

Lemme-Lemme-Lemme
hold onto this.

- L-I have a stupid idea.
- Really?

Yeah. D-Don't hold
your breath or anything.

- L-I'll just see what I can do.
- Really?

- Yes.
- Thank you. [Laughing]

- Thank you.
- Very nice.

- Well, yeah.
- [Laughing] Thank you.

- There's really no need
to cry anymore, okay?
- Okay. All right.

- I'm sorry. Good-bye.
- All right.

♪ ♪ [Blues]

♪ Oh, the Blues ain't nothin' ♪

♪ But a woman
cryin' for her man ♪

♪ I said
the Blues ain't nothin' ♪

♪ But a woman
lovin' a married man ♪

Excuse me, miss.

♪ Lord, Lord, Lord ♪

♪ The Blues ain't nothin' ♪

♪ But a common
low-down heart disease ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Try to keep your man happy ♪

♪ Although you find him
real hard to please ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪ ♪

[Applause, Cheering]

- Hey.
- Oh, my God, it's...

- ♪ Hey there ♪♪
- Yeah.

Hi, hi!
I tried to return the dress.

Oh... No, it looks good.
It looks good.

How's that big
recordin' career goin'?

Oh, it's really... Well, it's
not too swingin', actually.

Oh, I'm Doris Shelley.
This is Betty, and this is Sha Sha.

Hi, I'm Edna. You guys are swell.
You were really, really swell.

- Stop it.
- Um,

well, I just better go.

Oh, Edna, come back.
We play Tuesday through Friday.

Weekends are reserved for him.

[Laughing]
Gotcha.

[Laughs]

Edna?

Oh. Joel Millner.

I been lookin' for you for months. Okay,
all weekend. You don't have a phone?

- No.
- Why don't you have a phone?
You gotta have a phone.

You can't make it in this business
without a phone. What are you drinking?

- A vanilla coke.
- That's disgusting.

Are you eating?
I'm buying.

Can we get service here?
We been waiting 20 minutes.

Hold on a sec.
I'm busy.

She'll have a grilled cheese
and tomato and onion rings.
I'll have a cheeseburger combo.

- Anyway, so your demo. That's the one.
- Yes. "In Another World."

- Nice voice. Great song.
- Thank you. I wrote it.

I know you did.
It was funny.

When I listened to it,
I thought how nuts it was...

for a gal to be singing
such strong material.

- Oh, I'm unfeminine now too.
- And that's what I like.

- Only...
- Only you have someone like me.

No, I don't think there's
another one like you in the world.

I manage a male vocal group
called The Stylettes. You heard of them?

- Yeah, sure. Yeah. Yeah.
- Yes? Yes? Good.

This song is perfect for their voices.
We could all make money.

- I bet you have other songs too.
- No, I'm planning
to record my own songs.

What do you mean? You're either
a singer or songwriter. Which is it?

- I'm both.
- Nobody's both.
You're either one or the other.

Well, I'm both.

The day will come again
when girl singers are top of the heap.

'Til the timing's right,
why not make a little money
writing songs for other people?

- You want me to sell my songs to you?
- Let me prove it.

I'll book a studio, right?

You can meet the fellas,
listen to them sing your song.

If you don't like it,
I won't bug you again.

Trust me. I'm Joel Millner.
I'm a nice Hebrew boy.

- Actually, my mother's Italian.
I'm from New Jersey.
- [Laughing]

- Can I be perfectly honest?
- Hmm?

You gotta change your name.

Edna Buxton. That's the worst
name I ever heard in my life.

Where are you from that would curse you
with a name like that?

- Philadelphia.
- Oh, ouch. Keeps getting worse.

Wait a minute.
The Buxtons of Philadelphia?

- Not Buxton Steel?
- Mm-hmm.

- We gotta do a little reinvention.
- Oh.

♪ Ooh, we, ooh ♪
[Snapping fingers]

♪ Ooh, we, ooh ♪

- Psst!
- ♪ Ooh, we, ooh ♪ ♪

- Hey, kiddo.
- Hi, Joel.

- Come on in. Good to see you.
- Sure, sure.

Fellas, this is the young lady
who wrote your next hit.

I want to introduce
you all to... Denise Waverly.

Denise Waverly
from South Philly.

- You ever been to South Philly?
- No.

- She's an original. To rise outta
those slums, lemme tell you.
- Y-yeah.

- Denise... Waverly. Hi.
- Walter. Pleasure to meet you.

- Full service. Get your coat?
- [Laughing]

- I'm the maitre d'.
- Denise Waverly?
What's it all about, Joel?

- ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ All I have
is the memory ♪

- ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ When you were
my girl ♪ ♪

- Come on, man.
- Get him a lyric sheet,
somebody. Come on.

I know the lyrics.
That's just it.

- I know the lyrics.
- You know them?
I don't hear you knowin' 'em.

- I apologize, Miss Waverly.
- [Guys Laughing]

What you wrote here, being in love
with someone you can't have,

and you let 'em go
and have their own life... beautiful.

It's something that
happened to me before.

I know how personal it must be.
I don't want to invade your privacy.

- I just want to do the song righteous.
- [Laughing]

Uh, geez. I don't need
to hear any more, Joel.

Listen, the song is yours, guys.

It's never happened
to me anyway.

I just made it up to pass
the night away, you know.

- Denise, we need a B-side.
What else you got?
- B-side?

Well, you know, I sort of write
for girls like myself.

- [Joel] We need somethin' upbeat.
- Upbeat?

Up-tempo? Okay.
Something... Hmm.

Something new for me, but okay.
Let's see what I can do.

- You get the same percentage as me.
- Okay.

But this is only until I can
record my own stuff, right?

- When I make my own record...
- Absolutely, when the time is right.

Read it before you sign it.

Toots, my new
receptionist, Judy.

- Hi.
- Hello.

Now I want you to worry about
writing the songs.

I want personal ones
like "In Another World."

Now I am worried. What if I can't
just think up another one like that?

Keep your eyes and ears open.
Everyone is in pain.

Come on. I want
to show you your office.

You got a piano,
nice frosted glass, window, view.

Huh? You got a roof.

You put a plant here,
it's like you're in the country.

Okay, look at this. You could
pace back and forth if you're a pacer.

Hey, Monte!
How ya doin'?

You hear the sound?
You can hear airplanes, everything.

Good vocal sound.
You're frustrated? You schmuck!

- You don't like it?
- No, I like it.

- You don't like it.
- I like it. It's...

Well, I write songs
in the bedroom...

or in the bathtub
or on the fire escape.

That won't do, Denise.
You're a professional now.

I'm gonna let you in
on a secret.

This is where all the hits
are gonna be made from now on.

Right here. One scene,
all happening under one roof.

If you have your artists,
your songwriters, lead sheets office,

recording studio, studio musicians,
all in the same building,

you can have
a new hit record every week.

- [Cash Register Dings]
- Thanks, Roberta. See you tomorrow.

Hey, can I listen
to that for a sec?

- Come on, come on. Just for a sec.
- ♪ How my heart is breaking ♪

Oh, my God,
it's "In Another World."

- Lady, can I listen to the song now?
- Why don't you buy the record?

Why don't you go buy it, lady,
if you can find it.

- I bought the last copy
at the record store.
- You're kidding.

She bought the last copy.

Oh, my God! Taxi!

♪ ♪ [Big Band Swing]

[Crowd Chattering, Laughing]

- I didn't do it.
- L-I don't want to hear it.

I haven't! Sh...

Hey, Sha Sha.
Hey, Betty.

Hey, so where's Doris?

Oh, out back with him,

or it, I should say.

- She's with Eddie again?
- He's a dog, girl.

Look, I mean it.
I mean it!

- Maybe I should go speak to her.
- Uh-huh.

- Talk some sense into her, Edna.
- Me? I'll do my best.

Did I just hear her
call you Edna?

Joel, what are you doing here?

- Your name is Denise Waverly.
- I know.

What do I got to do
to protect your image?

If I got to introduce you to everyone
in this goddamn place as Denise Waverly,

- That's what I'll do.
- Okay.

- Oh, now I have to see this guy.
- What guy?

Joel Millner!
What are you doin' here?

What do you mean?
I'm always here.

What are you doing here? Never mind. Let
me introduce you to a real songwriter.

- Denise Waverly.
Denise, this is Howard Caszatt.
- Hi.

- A Village phony.
- Hi. Nice to meet...

Why are you
introducing me to him?

I'm introducing him to you,
a nobody to a somebody. Hey, Caszatt.

- What?
- Denise did something you'll never do.

- She wrote a Number One hit.
- Ooh, Number One?

Well, it will be Number One.
It's Number Five now.

It's Number 12, Joel.
Number 12.

- [Joel] "In Another World."
You've heard it?
- You wrote that?

- Yes.
- That's cool.

I gotta go see a girl.
Uh...

- Nice meetin' ya.
- Yeah, nice meeting you, buddy.

[Barking, Growling]

That is one
odd-looking woman.

Don't get any ideas, Caszatt,
That girl's got too much class for you.

- [Sobbing]
- Sweetie.

- Look, my...
- [Sniffling]

my manager's out there tonight.

Joel. I told you
about him.

Just forget
about Eddie for a while.

Just forget about it.
Go out there and sing your song.

Okay?

I'm okay.

I'm okay.

♪ Nobody knows ♪

♪ The way I feel this mornin' ♪

Wow, Joel, aren't they
just the most?

They'd make
terrific backup singers.

[Contemptuously]
Backup singers.

Thanks, Caszatt.
You're a doll.

♪ ♪ [Continues]

- I really like that song
you did for the Stylettes.
- You really like it?

Well, it's very commercial.

And, you know, even with
Negroes singin' it, it's very white.

- ♪♪ [Continues]
- What?

Because it didn't deal
with the real nightmares,

like unemployment,
that cripple male egos.

Which, I suspect, is the true reason why
romance is so tortured for these people.

You were goin'
for a mass audience.

And the lyrics,
well, a little sentimental.

- I gotta hand it to you.
They really do work. They do.
- [Laughing]

If anything, it suffers most
from a shoddy arrangement.

So what exactly did you like about
my record? The thickness of the vinyl?

[Laughing]

By the way, I did that shoddy
arrangement that you were describing.

- You're a horse's ass.
- Hey! Hey!

- What did you do to her, Caszatt?
- Nothing. She went nuts.

♪ ♪ [Continues]

- I think she wants me.
- ♪ I feel like
I could scream ♪ ♪

♪ He's a playboy
But I know one day ♪

♪ Across the threshold
He'll carry me ♪

- ♪ You're dreamin'
Ooh ♪
- ♪ I don't care ♪

♪ What the other girls say ♪

♪ One fine day He'll marry me ♪

- [All Laughing]
- I'm dreamin'.

I didn't know
there was a solo there.

- She's dreamin'!
- She dreamin', all right.

- I kinda like it. Let's do it.
- Me too.

- ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ Across the threshold
He'll carry me ♪

♪ You're dreamin' Ooh ♪

♪ I don't care
what the other girls say ♪

♪ One fine day
He'll marry me ♪ ♪

- [Sighs]
- That's nice.

- That was good.
- We good.

- Okay. Yes.
- Oh, Jesus.

- When he comes in, he wears
a wig, so don't mention it.
- It is a wig!

I'm not in the mood to meet anyone until
my fourth cup of coffee.

- You should know that.
- Okay, try and keep an open mind.

Coffee... coffee.
Coffee, coffee, coffee. I need coffee.

Come on.

Okay. All right.

Joel, just...
just sit there and listen.

- Hey. How ya doin'?
- Hi.

- Okay.
- ♪♪ [Piano Intro]
- ♪ He doesn't love me ♪

♪ But I love him so ♪

♪ Always thinking of that boy ♪

♪ But he never thinks of me ♪

♪ ♪ [Piano]

♪ My heart's a toy
and like a little child ♪

♪ He breaks it
when he's through ♪

♪ He fools around
and he puts me down ♪

♪ But there's nothing I can do ♪

- [Betty, Sha Sha] ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ I just live for
the moments with him ♪

- ♪ Be careful ♪
- ♪ His touch is soft ♪

- ♪ And the lights are dim ♪
- ♪ Watch out ♪

- ♪ Oh, what a trance
he puts me in ♪
- ♪ Ooh ♪

♪ I guess that I was born ♪

- ♪ To love that boy ♪
- ♪ She was born ♪

♪ To love that boy ♪

♪ I guess that she was born
to love that boy ♪

- ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ He's a playboy
but I know one day ♪

- ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ Across the threshold
he'll carry me ♪

- ♪ You're dreaming, ooh ♪
- ♪ I don't care what
the other girls say ♪

♪ One fine day he'll marry me ♪

♪ I guess that I was born ♪

- ♪ To love that boy ♪
- ♪ She was born ♪

♪ To love that boy ♪

- ♪ Love that boy ♪
- ♪ I guess that she was born
to love that boy ♪

- ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪
- ♪ She was born
to love that boy ♪

- ♪ I guess that I was born ♪
- ♪ She was born ♪

♪ To love that boy ♪ ♪

[Sighs]

That was great!
That was really great. Right, Joel?

Yes. Yes, it was nice,
real nice. Thank you.

It was great.
You guys were great.

- Thank you.
- You were great.

You can be so rude.

I can be rude? You dragged me here
before I had my caffeine.

- You know they were great.
- Great song. You are holding out on me.

Why did you save
your best song for girls?

I've told you I can't
sell girl singers. Not at this time!

I didn't save the song for the girls.
The song came from the girls.

- You didn't write it?
- Yeah, I wrote it,
but it's their story.

"Look around. There's pain everywhere."
Remember? I took your advice.

- That doesn't change the fact
I can't sell girl singers.
- Okay. Swell.

- So could you leave then
so I can go back to work?
- I mean, they're a mess.

I mean, they're cute,
but those hairdos.

- [Scoffs] Their hairdos?
- Those trashy, cha-cha high heels.

The cheesy outfits. Couldn't they
at least get matching dresses...

like the one the lead singer
obviously stole?

- Well...
- What's the name of that song?

- "Born To Love That Boy."
- ♪ I was born ♪

- [Snapping Fingers]
♪ To love that boy ♪
- ♪♪ [Humming Melody]

- ♪ I was born
to love that boy ♪
- ♪ To love that boy ♪

What a great fuckin' song...
Excuse my language. A great song!

- All right, I'll think about it.
- You'll think about it?

Think about it? It's in my system.
I can't get it out.

It was a great... Congratulations.
It was a wonderful song.

Thanks, Joel.
[Sighs]

- ♪ Girls tell me
he's a renegade ♪
- ♪ He'll hurt you ♪

♪ And I know about
the games he's played ♪

- ♪♪ [Continues]
- Oh, my God!

- Number three!
- [Screams]

- [Screams]
- ♪ I guess that I was born ♪

[Both Laughing]

♪ To love that boy ♪

See this? You'll love that group.
Get in there.

- You hear this song?
- Yeah! "Born To Love That Boy."

You should go inside.

"The success of the Luminaries'
debut can only be attributed
to the savvy of Joel Millner,

"securing a record deal
for unknowns at a time...

"when female voices
are virtually absent from the airwaves.

"The heart and vision of this femme
phenomenon is songwriter Denise Waverly.

"Her haunting courage
to admit the failure, pain and flaws...

"in the people for whom she writes and
her contradictory mystical optimism...

"is both bittersweet
and affirming.

"The Luminaries are the great
vocal discovery of the year,

but the voice behind their
power is Denise Waverly."

- You just made that up.
- You think I could dream up
a review like that?

"Mystical 'opticism" '?

"Optimism." I will take a little
of the credit.

The reviewer, John Murray,
from Songwriter magazine,
he's a friend of mine.

- I've been telling him about you.
- What'd you say?

How I'm Miss Mass Audience, exploiting
the pain of the working class Negro?

I told him the truth...
that you're the best songwriter
in this joke of a business.

- Wow. Thank you, Caszatt.
- You're welcome, Miss Waverly.

What are you doing
around here anyway?

What, are you spying on us evil,
imperialist pop songwriters?

I have an office
down the hall too.

- What, are you
the janitor or something?
- Oh, ho-ho! That's funny.

- Listen, I wanted
to propose something.
- Mm-hmm?

- Would you consider
writing a song with me?
- [Laughs]

No, hear me out.
Hear me out.

We set a love song
in an underclass ghetto.

Yes?

Two machinists fall in love
on the graveyard shift
at a plumbing parts factory.

Ooh, boy, you are some romantic.

I think we'd make a good team.

- Oh, is that so?
- Yeah.

I appreciate what
you're saying, I do,

but I wouldn't know the first thing
about how to save even myself...

with a song,
much less the world.

Besides, I don't intend
to write songs for much longer,

because I'm a singer
and I'm going to record my own stuff.

But I appreciate the offer.

- Well... please keep me
in mind, Miss Waverly.
- ♪♪ [Hits Piano Key]

Oh, I will, Mr. Caszatt.
I'll keep you in mind.

Know-it-all.
"Optimism."

Well, don't you look nice.
[Chuckles] Oh, this old thing?

Okay, that's enough of that.

The real test is after you're already
making out, so... let's practice.

Mmm. Mmm!

Oh, Howard.
Oh, Howard!

- Howard, stop that. Howard.
Howard, no, please...
- [Knock At Door]

Oh, Jesus. Okay.

[Coughs, Clears Throat, Sniffs]

[Sighs]

Whew!

[Chuckles]

[Gasps]
Mmm.

- [Denise Moaning, Grunting]
- Mmm.

- ♪♪ [Humming]
- ♪♪ [Piano]

♪ ♪ [Edna Humming]
No, you're fighting my melody.

- ♪♪ [Both Humming]
- ♪♪ [Piano]

- [Clears Throat] This is the melody.
- What do we got?

- All right.
- This is the lyric.

- Got a Negro couple
under a street lamp.
- No, a street lamp, my ass.

- They were on the fire escape.
- You're so literal.

We're making art. A street lamp
signifies the urban condition.

- Were you there?
- No, I wasn't.

- Were you there?
- No.

I was there, and they were
on the fire escape.

How about a fire escape
under a street lamp?

- That way, you get your realism...
- And you get your urban existential...

Hey, Betty. Here you go,
the new lead sheets.

- [Girl Sobbing]
- Who's that?

[Betty]
That's Annie, my niece.

- [Sobbing]
- She got herself into some trouble.

You dig? For love.

- She's so young.
- You're telling me! She's 12 years old.

- Does she have any family?
- I'm her family.

- [Annie] I just hate you.
- What's gonna happen to her?

I don't know, but I'm not getting her
out of this one.

Don't you have anything to say?
You're just standing there.

Don't you have anything to say?

She doesn't know how to listen.
Trouble with girls these days
is they all think they're grown.

So the boy in our song is depressed.
Why is he depressed?

Because he's 16, he's a Negro, and
no one's gonna hire him.

No, no, no. He's depressed because he
knocked up his 12-year-old girlfriend.

Anyway, it's her story.
It's not his story.

- That'll work. Yeah, all right.
- Really?

She's knocked up and he's a wreck
because he doesn't want the kid.

- He doesn't know how he's
gonna support the kid...
- And she was unwanted,

- Right.
- But she wants to keep the kid.

She wants a family.
That'll work.

- ♪ How can I tell them
How can I explain ♪
- ♪ Ooh ♪

- ♪ All the love ♪
- ♪ Love ♪

- ♪ That I never had ♪
- ♪ Had ♪

♪ I found in him ♪

- ♪♪ [Piano Chord]
- Wait, I got this one.

- [Chuckling]
- He gave her his... child,

- ♪♪ [Piano]
- ♪ But wouldn't give her
his name ♪

Oh-ho!
♪ There's a...
There's a... ♪

- Come on, that was good. Admit it!
- It was good.

- ♪ There's a local game
where they ♪
- ♪♪ [Humming Melody]

♪ Mention my shame...
Whisper my shame ♪

[Together]
♪ They say he gave her
his child ♪

- ♪ He wouldn't give her
his name ♪
- Ho-ho, Denise!

- ♪ How can I tell her
How can I express ♪
- ♪ Ooh ♪

- ♪ How it felt ♪
- ♪ Felt ♪

- ♪ When he came to my room ♪
- ♪ Room ♪

♪ And helped me to undress ♪

- ♪ Ooh ♪
- ♪ What can she tell me
How can I believe ♪

- ♪ That she really ♪
- ♪ Really ♪

- ♪ Didn't hear me cry ♪
- ♪ Cry ♪

♪ When he wouldn't leave ♪

- ♪♪ [Continues]
- The record company's under pressure...

from the churches
to pull the record.

That's great.
Controversy's good for business.

- Controversy is good?
You're out of your mind, Caszatt.
- It is.

These Bible thumpers are
putting pressure on the radio station.

If the record company pulls it,
that's it, no business. Get it?

Write a sympathetic song about
two kids who aren't married
and about to have a baby...

Between the two of you's, you kids
have no idea how the world works.

Maybe your friend
John Murray can help.

You're no stranger
to controversy.

I've been writing controversial songs
for the last five years.

Record companies wouldn't take a risk
on me, but, uh, that's me.

You know, risk and controversy.

Denise, are you
also an advocate?

Yeah, we're both advocates.

Denise?

Um... hell, [Chuckling]
I just write pop songs.

Sure, but you realize,
of course, that no one else...

is writing pop songs
about unwed pregnancy, just you.

I was wondering, is it because of your
working class background...

that you feel free to examine these
very real, honest themes in your music?

Um... I can assure you my background
doesn't have anything to do with it.

I'm curious. You had a big hit last year
with "In Another World"...

that you wrote by yourself.

I was curious why you
decided to collaborate.

We met and hit it off,
decided to work together.

Denise?

Well, I guess what he's
saying is basically true.

- Joel actually...
- Joel Millner introduced
us at Fernando's Blue Room up in Harlem.

He's the man that we blame.

Is it a marriage made in heaven?

No! We're not... married.
We're partners. We're not married.

I'm here right now with Denise Waverly
and Howard Caszatt...

who have written a very controversial
new song by the Luminaries.

- "Unwanted Number."
- "Unwanted Number."

- Available now.
- Thank you, Howard.

Voss-Beat Records. We certainly
are going to keep playing it here.

- Thank you, John.
- ♪♪ ["Unwanted Number"]

- Wasn't l... I thought I was terrible.
- You were wonderful.

You were great, honey.
You were terrific.

I thought you were very
honest and straightforward
with everything you said.

- Oh, thank you. You helped.
- ♪♪ [Song Continues]

- Can we take these off?
- No, take 'em with you.

[All Laughing]

- [John] Because I'm not gonna do it.
- Hi.

- Okay?
- Could I just give this to, uh...

- I'm not gonna say that.
- John? Yeah.

- What?
- Miss Waverly just dropped this by.

I'll call you back.

Denise! Hi.
So glad I caught you.

I didn't mean to drag you
from your work.

No, I can't think of
a more delightful way...

- To avoid a confrontation
with one of my writers.
- Ah!

- So what is this?
- Well, it's a toaster.
What do you think?

- [Laughing]
- No, it's... Pretty obvious.

Got these... I just wanted to thank you
for having us on the show.

This is amazing. I've been looking
for these for years.

I heard you say it on your show,
and I happened to be in the Village...

in this thrift shop, and I saw them,
so I got them for you.

- You like them?
- Thank you so much.

[Chuckles]

Well, l... I should get back.
Can't avoid this forever.

Oh.

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

- Howard?
- Hmm.

We should write a wedding song.

What's the social angle?

Oh, well, I wasn't thinking about that.
That's your department.

I don't believe in marriage.

What do you mean you don't believe
in marriage? You're joking, right?

No. Why?

Oh, God. Come on.
You believe in it?

Marriage is
a bourgeois convention...

You honestly think a contract can
or should bind people to each other?

Why should modern affairs
between men and women be
modeled on an arrangement...

that was forced on people by the
church and state during feudal times?

Even then, it didn't work. Men were
bringing home syphilis to their wives.

- Well... I mean, I just
think that, you know,
- Hmm?

People taking vows
in front of other people...

- What?
- It's kind of beautiful.

I think that kind of
romanticism bullshit's...

what keeps people in bondage.

Your friend John Murray's married.
He's not conservative.

- But... John Murray?
- Mm-hmm.

What... What is this... You have
a crush on this guy or something?

- No.
- Huh?

- You do. Look at you.
- [Laughing] Do not!

Forget about him, all right?
You're mine.

- Am I?
- ♪ I know, girl
you were runnin' round ♪

♪ ♪ [Continues]

[Phone Ringing,
People Chattering]

- ♪♪ [Continues]
- You married him?

- [Joel Laughing]
- You told me to sign here, right?

- Just sign here.
- Joel, listen...

- I'd like you to meet...
- I know, the new receptionist.

Oh, golly, no. This lady here
is a new member...

of the Charny Music family.

I just signed
Cheryl and her partner.

First song they've written
is gonna be the Luminaries' next hit.

Oh, that's great!
That's great.

- Thanks.
- They could use a hit.

The last three songs we wrote for them
were banned from the radios.

It's funny, because in Europe
such bannings are never heard of.

- Really?
- I guess it's 'cause
we're far more freethinking.

- Yeah.
- Denise Waverly.

Cheryl Steed. Hi.

Well, if you need anything,
my office is just down the hall.

Thank you, and mine
is just next door,

- If you need me for anything.
- [Chuckles]

- [Chuckles] What?
- Uh, next door?

The front of the building.
You have windows. That's nice.

L... I insisted.
This place is so dreary.

- Mm, yeah.
- Hello.

Hi.

- Howard, honey,
- Hmm?

This is Cheryl,

- And she's part of
the Charny Music family now.
- Charmed.

- Welcome.
- So just think of her like a sister.

Howard is my writing partner,
and he's also my boyfriend.

- Oh.
- Who's your partner?

Uh, Matthew.
He... He's my husband.

Oh! That's great.
Isn't that great?

- Oops!
- Oops.

[Howard]
Hmm.

- Joel will be next door.
- I'm just lookin'.

- Miss, uh, Waverly.
- Yeah. Welcome aboard.

Howard.

- Adieu.
- Adieu.

- Whew! She's got
the cutest little... accent.
- I'll "adieu" you.

She's from Europe.

All I know is I'm gettin' hot.

Cheryl, your husband's
20 minutes late!

I know. But I called and they said
he's on his way. I think we should wait.

- Where is he?
- We have to wait for Matthew.
I can't start without him.

- Time is money and money
is time. Let's go.
- Come on, Joel.

I'm not waiting
any longer. Sorry.

- [Drumsticks Clicking]
- Let's put one down.

- I can't afford it.
- Okay, fine, but you're
laying it on a bit thick.

- Make sure the vocal is up high
so we can really hear the lyric.
- Yeah, I understand.

♪ Well, I met you in December ♪

♪ Underneath a winter's sky ♪

♪ I could tell
by the kissing
on New Year's ♪

♪ You were gonna be my guy ♪

- ♪ February, tapped me
on the shoulder ♪
- ♪ Tap, tap ♪

♪ Turned around
and whispered in my ear ♪

Decided to come, did you?
We've been waiting two hours for you.

Joel's been looking at his watch.
The girls have been hanging around.

- Costs a fortune to keep studio time
when people are hanging around.
- Get off my back.

- ♪ I do for you ♪
- Where were you?

I'm here now, okay?
Let's go to work.

- We are working, Matthew.
- ♪ And now it's June ♪

♪ And we're gonna get married
the day you say ♪

♪ That I'm the one ♪

- ♪ Ooo ♪
- ♪ Do you make a promise that
we'll always be together ♪

- ♪ I do ♪
- ♪ I do ♪

Denise, what do you think?

I think it's a sure hit,
Joel. Congratulations.

- ♪ I do ♪
- Excuse me.

- ♪ Do you make a promise that
we'll always be together ♪
- Cheryl.

- ♪ I do, I do ♪
- Thanks.

♪ Do you make a promise that
our love'll last forever ♪

- ♪ I do ♪
- ♪ I do ♪

- ♪ Do you ♪
- ♪ I do ♪

- [Humming]
- ♪ Do you make a promise that
we'll always be together ♪ ♪

Okay, so I'm a boob. You
should've written that wedding
song. "I Do" is number four.

- Howard?
- Hmm?

You're not gonna believe this,
but, um... I think I'm pregnant.

No, you can't be.
I pulled out.

I went to the doctor today and, um...
Well, he's pretty sure that I am.

I just have to wait
and see if the rabbit dies.

- How long does that take?
- About a week.

Oh, shit.

- There is something else.
- What?

My name isn't...
Well, it isn't really Denise.

It's...
[Sighs]

It... It's Edna.
Edna Buxton. Buxton Steel.

- That's my family's business.
- You putting me on?

You see, Joel invented the whole name
and the working class persona,

and I didn't know how to tell you
'cause you'd be disappointed.

Let me get this straight. You're
telling me that you're an heiress?

- Yeah.
- You're an heiress?

- Yeah.
- You're an heiress?

- Yeah.
- You don't look like an heiress.

That's nice. What's an heiress
supposed to look like?

Grace Kelly. That's funny. That's the
sort of woman I thought I'd end up with.

Someone with that kind of grace.
When we'd hit it off, it'd surprise me.

I thought my dream girl
would be blond, coy.

- Howard! [Crying]
- Oh.

- That's a terrible thing to say!
- Honey, listen. I'm sorry.

It's just I'm scared, that's all.
We don't have any money right now.

- If you have a baby, you're
not gonna be able to work.
- Yes, I can!

I can take the baby
to work with us.

Oh, yeah. The Brill Building.
That's a great place to bring up a kid.

It's not a bad place.
[Crying Continues]

[Sighs]

What... What the hell's your name again?
Ethel? Effie? Alberta?

- It's Edna.
- Buxom?

- Edna Buxton. It's a fine name.
- Buxton? Well.

- Thank God the kid's gonna
have my name at least, huh?
- Caszatt. That's terrible.

[John] Songwriters Denise Waverly
and Howard Caszatt...

were married in a 15-minute
civil ceremony in New York this weekend.

The couple are expecting
a child in October.

♪ You're hanging on
to dreams that
will never come true ♪ ♪

Hey, guys.
That was really terrific.

Um, on the bridge, when you get to the
"kid", you're cutting it off a little.

- Stretch it out.
Stretch "kid" out, guys.
- You can just...

Let it really come
to a natural ending, okay?

- Why don't you sit down?
You have my son in there.
- Okay. All right, sweetie.

- Let's make hit records. Let's start.
- ♪ Heartbreak kid ♪

♪ King of sorrow ♪

♪ Blue today ♪

♪ Bluer tomorrow ♪

♪ It's all up to you ♪

♪ What will you do
Heartbreak kid ♪

That's a damn good song, doll.

Keep this gal knocked up and
she'll make you a millionaire.
This is gonna be a hit.

- What?
- Her first since...

- Since she started
writing with me, huh?
- I didn't say that.

- Could you guys...
- I'll see you at home.

Howard, you can't just leave
during my session.

For God's sake, Denise,
concentrate on your work!

- Joel, Jesus, your tact
doesn't exactly help.
- My tact?

You blame it on me that
your husband is jealous of your talent!

He's not jealous. I mean,
I'm getting really fed up with the way...

- [Water Spilling]
- Oh! Howard!

- My water is breaking.
- What's happening?

- Cheryl, my water's breaking.
Get Howard!
- L, uh... I'm gonna be sick.

- Get Howard!
- [Joel] What's happening?

- I'm having a baby, Joel.
Please, get Howard.
- Dagmar!

- Howard!
- [Joel] Everybody out!

It's not an epidemic. I'm having a baby.
It is a perfectly natural...

- We gotta get you to the hospital.
- Guys, I'm really sorry.

- I'll get Howard.
- Guys, I'm sorry.

- [Screaming]
- We gotta get you to the hospital.

Geez, I know.
I know the... Cheryl.

[Groans]
Oh, God. What did I do here?

- [Sighs]
- What happened?

- I'm gonna have a baby.
- Now?

- Yeah.
- Oh, God! Come on.

- Okay. It's okay.
- Just do it like this.

I'll wheel you out.
It's okay.

♪ ♪ ["Heartbreak Kid"]

♪ He was the one ♪

♪ Second to none in your eyes ♪

- [Laughs]
- ♪ But you couldn't see ♪

- ♪ What's turned out to be
a disguise ♪
- Oh, come on. She's asleep.

- Sweet darling.
- She's asleep.

- ♪ She led you on ♪
- [Groans] Okay.

♪ She had you fooled
from the start ♪

- [Kissing]
- ♪ And though she's long gone ♪

♪ Boy, you're still
playing the part ♪

- Oooh!
- [Chuckles]

- ♪ Heartbreak kid ♪
- That's okay.

- ♪ King of sorrows ♪♪
- Luma's got a pretty face.

This is where I work. And this is where
I come to work every day...

and I write pretty,
pretty songs with your daddy.

- [Coughing]
- ♪♪ [Piano]

- Here's your Uncle Joel. You got her?
- [Joel] Yeah.

Now that your collaboration
with... Caszatt...

has taken a slightly
different direction,

I started lookin' around
this place for a...

Well, uh...
for an interesting, uh...

Look. I thought
maybe you two gals...

could try writing
a song together.

- Cheryl writes with her husband.
- I write with Matthew.

- How would Matthew feel?
- Matthew would be devastated.

I understand, but I don't see
why Cheryl's talent should
be exclusive to her husband.

- I'm sure she'd agree with you.
- There's a whole other set of problems.

Whoa, whoa, take it easy.
I'm not asking... This is no
"Et tu, Brute?" business.

There's no betrayal here.
It's an experiment.

If you guys combine,
if you combust, we ignite, we go.

- [Both Disagreeing]
- [Whistles]

Now the first assignment...

is to come up with something
for Kelly Porter.

Okay?

- No, Joel. No.
- [Laughing]

- Kelly Porter, the ingenue. No.
- Kelly Porter, yes.

- "Dring Dring. Are you home?"
Kelly Porter?
- She ran out of hair spray.

- [Laughing] Here. Have it.
- She's home getting her hair done.

I'm glad you're so enthusiastic.

[Sighs] Well, I'm gonna split in
ten minutes because this is, you know...

- Waiting here for how... how long now?
- Cheryl, patience, patience.

- My God.
- Oh, look. Look.

She seems upset.

- Oh. Hi. Hi.
- Hi.

[Denise] Let me talk first
when she gets here.

- Hi.
- [Together] Hi.

- Sorry we're late.
- Hi. Oh, I'm Marion.
I'm Kelly's roommate.

- Marion. Denise. Uh, Cheryl.
- Cheryl Steed.

Hi, I'm Kelly Porter.
So nice to meet both of you.

[Sighs]

Okay, so you have your meeting.

I'll make your reservation.
Chinese.

Yeah, that'll be swell.
Bye.

So, uh...

Gosh, I'm honored that
you'd consider writing a song for me.

- Oh.
- I mean, people have, you know,
certain ideas about me...

that are created by my publicist
and this TV show that I do.

They really have no idea
who I am or what my life is like...

or what I go through...

[Crying] with the person I love.
[Chuckles]

Kelly.

- You know, boy problems
are always hard.
- [Sobbing]

I wouldn't know.

Sorry, I'm fine.

Now, I read that Johnny Crawford
gave you a puppy for your birthday.

- That is so fabulous.
He's such a dream boat.
- Trust you to read that.

- He is very good looking.
- He's very nice. He sweats a lot.

- Oh! Hi.
- Hi, Marion.

- I'm here. Are you ready?
- Yeah, sure.

- I mean, I think I am. Aren't I?
- Yeah, I think we...

- Got a great sense of who
you are, what you're about...
- I've got some ideas.

- And we're gonna write you
a terrific song.
- Wonderful.

- Call me if you have
any kind of questions.
- Bye, Kelly and Marion.

It was nice to...

- [Both Laughing]
- I don't believe it.

- Oh, my God.
- What?

It's my breasts. My milk is leaking.
It's Luma's feeding time. I gotta go.

I'll see you back at the office
in a half an hour. Sorry. I
gotta feed her before I burst.

- Yes, but l...
- Wait 'til I tell Howard.
He's gonna die.

Hey, Howard. Kelly Porter. Boy,
she's not the square we thought she was.

Uh...

Oh, my...
Come here, Luma.

[Crying]
Oh, my God.

- Honey, let me explain.
- Explain? Just stay.

Both of you.
Just stay.

[Luma Crying]

[Sighs]

- [Cab Driver] Where
do you wanna go, lady?
- I don't know.

- Can we just drive for a bit?
- Sure.

♪ My secret love ♪

[Speaking Dramatically]
♪ You and I
We are like spies ♪

♪ In the house of holy love ♪

♪ We are actors
in a heartless play ♪

♪ I smile my smile
and play my part ♪

♪ And forever hide
my lonely heart ♪

♪ My secret love ♪

- ♪♪ [Fades]
- Kelly, it sounds good, but the
key to the song is the build.

And you can be dramatic
as long as it's truthful. Okay?

Guys, I know there's a lot
of chefs in the kitchen here.

Let's just try and get a great take,
and groove, all right? Let's start.

[Snaps Fingers]
Roll tape.

Oh, Larry, you're so manly.

♪ Love has never
been easy for me ♪

♪ Can't you see ♪

- It's better already.
- ♪ I have always
been lonely ♪

- I think you did a good job.
- Hey, we did a good job.

- Yeah.
- Joel was right.

- Well, for God's sakes,
don't tell him that.
- No. Don't.

♪ Girls like me ♪

♪ Have to hide our hearts away ♪

- ♪ If only we could
live one day ♪
- Cheryl?

- What?
- I'm pregnant again.

- What?
- Yeah, I'm pregnant again.

Really? But... I thought you said you
were using a diaphragm.

[Laughs] We never used it.
It's on the ceiling.

♪ They'll destroy us
if they can ♪

- ♪ Say we were struck down
by the hand ♪
- What do you wanna do?

What can I do? Howard's not even around.
I gotta raise Luma. It...

I feel like
I don't have a choice.

♪ And keep our disguise ♪

♪ Stand by our lives ♪

He's in... he's in Pennsylvania
and, uh...

he'll only charge you $100.

He'll give you anesthesia, a shot of
penicillin and you get a night's rest.

If you're gonna do something,
do this. Don't go to one of
those doctors in Spanish Harlem,

unless you wanna end up bleeding
to death in some elevator shaft.

♪ I refuse ♪

♪ I'd sooner die than tell ♪

♪ I'm under your sweet spell ♪

♪ My secret love ♪

Thanks.
I owe you one.

I think we got
a hit record here, girls.

♪ No ♪

[Chuckling]

What do you say we go get
a drink after the session?

I know a really nice place.

- No, thank you. No.
- ♪ Can't be sure
that we won't be heard ♪

♪ Like Romeo and Juliet ♪

♪ They will chase us
to our death ♪

♪ Then voice
their false regret ♪

♪ The liars ♪ ♪

I couldn't... I couldn't
keep this one. I'm sorry.

♪ I can't believe it's over ♪

♪ Although I know it's true ♪

♪ How could this happen
to me and you ♪

♪ It happens to other people ♪

♪ Somehow their lives go on ♪

♪ What will I do now ♪

- Come on, Emily. Let's go.
- ♪ That we're through ♪

- Hi.
- Denise!

Oh, my God. John.

[Chuckling]
This little redhead yours?

- Yeah. Is this your little girl?
- Yeah.

- Hi.
- Come and have a seat.

Hey, sweetie.

She's adorable.

Uh, we, uh... we're just gonna meet her
brother on the other side of the park,

but she made me stop and wait.

Like a woman.
[Chuckles]

How's your little girl getting
along without her daddy?

Uh, you know.

- She sees Howard every weekend,
he and the new wife.
- Yeah.

But he's crazy about her anyway.

- She was never really the problem.
- Yeah.

Still, divorce
is tough on a kid.

That's kind of a conventional notion,
don't you think?

- Well, I'm kind of
a conventional person.
- [Chuckles]

♪ We can't predict the future ♪

♪ We can't undo the past ♪

♪ But it won't always
hurt this bad ♪

Well, you know,
I've got friends...

- And just try and
keep busy, you know.
- Mm-hmm.

- How's your wife?
- Oh, well, she's holding up.
She... [Clears Throat]

She doesn't get out much.
She won't hire a baby-sitter, and, uh...

She doesn't feel comfortable
leaving them,

- So we don't have much social life.
- Oh, you're kidding.

♪ Love doesn't ever fail us ♪

♪ We've got it turned around ♪

I gotta get Luma. I gotta get to work.
I got a lot of stuff to do.

- It was great to see you.
- It was great seeing you too.

- Maybe we should plan it next time.
- [Sighs]

♪ Girl, it was us ♪

- ♪ Who let love die ♪♪
- You look great.

- [Girl] Hi.
- Don't eat the burnt part.

Oh, Annie, Jesus, thank God you're here.
Here you go, butter 'em up.

- Denise, it's only 8:00.
I'm ten minutes early.
- I know, but...

You know, there's a new
invention called pantyhose that
make your life a lot easier.

- Oh, keys, keys, keys!
- Keys, keys.

Oh. Okay, she's got a little cold. Make
sure she wears a sweater. Bye, sweetie.

Eat your breakfast.
Be good. Ooh.

Your coat!
Your coat!

Oh. Annie, I'm gonna
be home a little late, about 6:30.

- Bye.
- Leaves early. Comin' home late.

Smells like there's a man
in your mama's life, Luma girl.

Oh, John.
I don't...

I don't need a friend.
I mean, I have friends.

- Yeah.
- I mean, you'd be
a wonderful friend, really.

- It's just that...
- Yeah. I know.

You know. Gosh.

I'm sorry. Maybe we should go,
or something.

[Chuckles]

How do you look
without those glasses on?

I've seen it happen, Edna.
He gives you nothing.

Didn't your mother ever teach
you Rule Number One?

Don't fall in love
with married guys.

No, that wasn't part of the breeding.
Sex... never discussed.

You haven't written a song
since you got caught up with this guy.

He's made you forget about yourself,
your work, your dreams,

so you could plan your life
around his timetable.

He hasn't made me do anything.
For the first time in my life I
love someone without conditions.

- He's costing me money!
- He's gonna inspire me so much,

I'll write you
a dozen hit songs.

Yeah, sure.
When he breaks your heart.

No, thank you.

Uh, new receptionist, Joel?

How are The Beatles
gonna put us out of a job?

They write their own stuff and every
group coming up from England now...

is following that trend.

Well, what are you gonna do when there's
no need for Songwriter magazine?

Oh, probably start a little fanzine
for Denise Waverly on the west coast.

Ah!

Why?
Are you moving?

Moving?
Not that I know of.

Oh, but you could, right?
You could move away.

With your family. Just move away so
I'd never see you again.

A safe could fall on my head.

Look, I'm not gonna
disappear on you.

[Tammy Lee]
♪ You said you'd stay ♪

- Hey.
- Yeah.

♪ Here by my side ♪

- ♪ The truth is you lied ♪♪
- Let's wash the doll.

[John] That was little Tammy
Lee with "Truth Is You Lied"
written by Denise Waverly.

You're listening to the RCA Songwriters'
Hour on WKEE. I'm John Murray.

One more show and I'll be
transplanted to Chicago of all places.

- But we hope you'll continue
to stay tuned to WKEE to hear...
- Mommy.

The very best songwriters showcased
such as Denise Waverly...

whose life is every bit
as inspiring as her work; amazing stuff.

You wanna cut a record?

- Cut it out, Joel.
- I talked to Red Bird today.

They'll sign you for one single.

I don't have a song to sing.

For five years you've been
buggin' me to let you record.

I would've thought that you'd been
saving up material for this day.

No, contrary to what you always
suspected, I never held out on you.

That's my girl. So write something.
Isn't that what I pay you for?

[Softly]
Yeah, write something.

I don't...
I don't know.

I just... I don't think I have 1.04.19
anything left inside of me, you know.

- It's just gone. 1.04.22
- Let me tell you somethin'.

Are you listenin' to me?
This bullshit you're wallowing in...

is happening
outside of yourself.

If you could just pick yourself out
of the crap, you'll realize that...

Mr. Married Guy let you down,
not your talent.

Don't let these other bastards
get you down.

- [Sighs]
- Come on.

I have the perfect producer
lined up.

- [Laughs]
- Come on, sit up.

This guy, he's the new "hit-maker"
genius, the next..."wunderkind."

- Phil Spector?
- Phil Spector, history!

Shadow Morton?
Shadow Morton?

This guy's no Liberace,
who I feel is valid in his own right.

He's an Einstein
in the control booth. He's a wizard.

Direct your eyes right here.

♪ Take a run at the sun ♪

[Reporter] While The Beatles
and The Byrds are both at work on...

what are being termed "concept albums",
teen favorites, The Riptides,

are also changing directions.

Oh, Joel.

Jay Phillips, the one on the guitar.
He's the brains behind the band,

- And the wizard behind your next hit.
- On their last album,

Jay Phillips caught
the critics' attention...

when he added orchestral instruments
into their popular surf sound.

Surf and turf stuff.
[Laughs] That's not my thing.

[Reporter] It seems this was only
the beginning of Phillip's imagination.

- Tell us what we can expect
from this new record.
- [Chuckles]

Well, I really don't know
what to expect myself.

I'm kinda... just gonna sort of
let the album dictate itself to me.

But I can guarantee it'll be
different from anything you've
heard from The Riptides before.

Very, very talented.
Very sweet.

A little out there.
He's from California.

Is there any particular theme
or subject stringing it all together...

like some of the other
concept albums being recorded now?

Childhood. Innocence.

How a kid looks at things. How a kid'll
make up a song so the lyrics...

don't always make sense to, uh,
[Chuckles] adults.

Kids are cool.

- Can you give us an example of a lyric?
- He's not so bad.

I heard Lennon wrote a song
about a walrus...

and McGuinn wrote a song
about a spaceman.

There's a thing in music now
where you can write a song about...

You can write a song about anything at
all, not just a protest or love songs.

On this new album, I'm into
writin' songs like kids do when
they're singing to themselves...

- Or playin' in their yard.
- [Laughs] Sounds pretty far out.

Yeah, far out.

The world's waiting, Jay.

[Joel] Listen, I want you to
seriously think about this.

- Hmm.
- Hear what I said?

- [Rattling]
- Sorry.

So, I'll just...
It's been a while.

- Sure.
- So, I'll just... Okay.
Let's just go for it, okay?

♪ ♪ [Starts]

♪ Now I have nothing ♪

♪ So, God give me strength ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm weak in his wake ♪

♪ But if I'm strong ♪

♪ I might still break ♪

♪ And I don't have
anything to share ♪

♪ That I won't throw away
into the air ♪

♪ That song is sung out ♪

♪ This bell is rung out ♪

♪ He was the light
that I'd bless ♪

♪ He took my last chance
of happiness ♪

♪ So, God give me strength ♪

♪ And, God if he'd grant me ♪

♪ His indulgence and decline ♪

♪ I might as well ♪

♪ Wipe him from my memory ♪

♪ Fracture the spell ♪

♪ As he becomes my enemy ♪

♪ Maybe I was washed out
like a lip print
on his shirt ♪

♪ See I'm only human ♪

♪ I want him to hurt ♪

♪ I want him ♪

♪ I want him to hurt ♪

♪ ♪ [Piano Continues]

♪ Since I lost the power
to pretend ♪

♪ That there could ever
be a happy ending ♪

♪ That song is sung out ♪

♪ This bell is rung out ♪

♪ He was the light
that I'd bless ♪

♪ He took my last chance
of happiness ♪

♪ So, God give me strength ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ Give me strength ♪

♪ Give me strength ♪

[Sighs]

♪ I need strength ♪ ♪

[Sighs]

Wow.

What a sad song.

- [Sighs]
- Sad song.

[Clears Throat]
Well, it's a little melodramatic.

Oh, no.
It really moved me.

I think we should try to...
I think we should try to make it big.

I don't expect it
to be a big hit.

No, no.
I mean, big sounding. Big.

- I'm hearing all these things,
it's strings or something.
- [Laughs]

♪ Indulgence and decline ♪

♪ I might as well ♪

♪ Wipe him from my memory ♪

♪ Fracture the spell ♪

♪ As he becomes my enemy ♪

All right, okay, let's stop.
Okay, stop! Enough! Stop!

- Is he always like this?
- Yeah, he is.

- It needs a little bit more bite,
- I like it.

So between bar 52 and 56, pizz.

I want you to play pizz
on bar two and three. Yeah.

And what are you doing
over there? You're like
stirring oatmeal or something.

I need you to...
Is everything all right?

I need you to really pop this thing
like... Really give it a... a snap.

This is rock 'n' roll.
Okay, this is a pick up from, uh...

from bar 50, okay?

What the fuck
is that drummer doing, man?

- ♪ I was washed out
like a lip print on a shirt ♪
- Holy shit. Fuck.

♪ See I'm only human
I want him to hurt ♪

Yeah, that's it.

This is the board. It's got all these
cool EQs and knobs...

that do all these
far out things.

[Engineer]
Hey, hands off the console.

- Are you digging the work?
- Oh, yeah.

- Hey, man, get up.
- I never had any idea how much
you got involved in the work.

- All the arranging and
producing is really wild.
- Yeah.

- Almost finished
with your first single.
- [Chuckles]

- Denise Waverly's
first single.
- I can't believe it.

I mean... Listen, we should do something
really cool to celebrate.

Yeah, yeah.

Um...

Can you stay here
tonight with me?

Um, yeah.
I'd like that a lot.

I mean, I gotta get home
at some point. I got a kid.

But, uh...

- ♪ He was the light
that I'd bless ♪
- [Camera Shutter Clicks]

♪ He took my last chance
of happiness ♪

♪ So, God give me strength ♪

[Denise] I don't know. Maybe I put too
much of myself in the song.

The whole game's changed now, kiddo.
Everyone's writing their own material.

And now with Betty checked into
Lexington and Sha Sha getting married,

that pretty much puts an end
to The Luminaries.

I gave Doris some leads
on session work out in Los Angeles.

Have you, um... you know, have you
thought about what you're gonna do?

- Well, with Matthew dumping
Cheryl, I thought maybe...
- You and Cheryl?

Nah. Nothing's going on with us.
It's strictly business. You see?

She was a married lady
and l... I don't mess around.

Geez, does she know how you feel.
I mean, do you have a plan?

I'm gonna ask her to marry me.

Joel.
[Laughs]

Maybe you should, you know, ask her
out for dinner and a movie first.

You think that's a better
idea, huh? Oh, well.

Yeah. I do.

Why don't you level with me?
"God Give Me Strength" broke you, right?

What?
Get out of here, huh.

You're just like a woman to think
she's the ruination of a guy.

Look here.
You made me, Denise.

I was the laughing stock of this town
before you wrote me my first hit...

a-and my second,
and how many since?

See, you forced me to take...
chances I would've never had
the guts to take alone.

You made me, kiddo.

♪ Absence makes the heart
grow fonder ♪

♪ How I miss him
when he wanders ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ [Surf]

[Denise] Hey, Luma!
Hey! [Laughing]

Oh, Jay. You're very bad, you know.
You said you were gonna buy her a puppy.

- You didn't say you were
gonna buy her two puppies.
- I know.

She couldn't make up her mind, and she
looked so adorable holding them both.

It so adorable. Edna. I'm gonna
have to call you Edna from now on.

You know, sometimes when I look at you,
I see you way in the future...

as this amazing old lady who's done
all this really far out things.

- Mm-hmm.
- But you don't see that.
What's it gonna take for me...

to get you to see your spark?

[Theremin Blaring]

♪ It's never been this hard ♪

♪ The feeling taunts me now ♪

♪ Just me and you ♪

♪ Me and you ♪

♪ They all know I'm happy ♪

- ♪ They don't like good things
Chewing and waving ♪
- ♪ It's sad to be alone ♪

- ♪ Come on, make a new sound ♪
- ♪ I'm too, too low
being sad ♪

♪ What's wrong
with liking good things
Chewing and waving ♪ ♪

[Theremin Blaring]

[Theremin Stops]

[Sighs] Well, I'm wondering how we're
supposed to do that live?

Where are the cars? Where are
the surfboards? It's not The Riptides.

I'm not singing that stuff.

- Brian, anything to add?
- [Brian Chuckles]

I dig the theremin
at the end. It's cool.

- He likes the theremin.
- It's great, man, come on.

Wow. That's great, man.
Everybody's really fucking happy, huh?

- [Sighs]
- It's great, baby.

- [Tape Flapping]
- [Engineer] It's great.
How can you not like that?

- I thought you guys
were a little harsh.
- What's it all about?

- The future, man.
- The future?

- What is that supposed to mean?
- You gonna sing about surfboards
the rest of your life?

- It's a metaphor.
- A metaphor for what?
Is it psychedelic?

- Ever heard anything like that before?
- No.

- I liked it.
- I hated it.

Luma, I love that one.
I'm gonna put that one on the fridge.

What about mine?

I don't know
if I'll put yours up.

Edna, man, who was down
at the studio, man?

My tapes. Somebody fucked
with my tapes, man.

Jay, no one's been in the studio.
We've been here all day.

These boxes are empty!

- Somebody was in the studio.
- No one was in the studio.

Somebody took my tapes.
Somebody fucked with my tapes, man.

- If they didn't like the song...
- Would you calm down?

Don't tell me, Edna!
What do you think I am?

Jay, I don't even go
in the goddamn studio.

What happened to the tapes?
They're not in the studio!

- Annie, get the kids.
Take them in the house.
- Come on.

Go ahead, protect them! Who's lookin'
out for me and my fuckin' songs?

You were talkin' and kissin' ass with
those three fuckin' morons.

They're not even in my band.
I write all the songs.

- I taught 'em how to play
every fuckin' instrument.
- Would you please stop now?

Fuckin' empty, man!
Empty! Zilch!

They're missing!
Empty!

For chrissakes, Jay!

I got my eye on you.

All right, Jay.

[Sighing]

[Door Opening]

[Man]
Secure all windows, all doors.

All access into the house
is to be taped and wired.

Now, down here
we got the studio.

We got an intercom...

running up from the studio.

Run your wires
down along the steps here.

[Jay]
What about these skylights, man?

We're puttin' 'em back in
as soon as we run our wires down.

I mean, somebody could
come up on the roof.

- Oh, you want to secure your skylights?
- Hey, baby.

- You could put bars across them.
- Good morning, Jay.

- Jay?
- Good morning.

Sweetie, um,

what's, uh, going on?

- Fortification.
- Hmm?

- Um, this gentleman here
is a security expert.
- Ah.

From now on, no one will
have access to this room...

except for you and me.

- That's it.
- Okay.

Uh, sweetie,
I'm gonna go see Cheryl.

- I'll see you later. Okay.
- Groovy.

Listen, man, how about
some guard dogs or somethin'?

- [Man] Dogs are good.
- [Jay] Yeah, we got these puppies...

Jay?

- You need some... Yeah?
- What is this?

Those are my tapes.
I found them.

You need some Dobies
or some rottweilers. Somethin' big.

- Jay, the lost tapes?
- Yeah.

[Man] I could put a perimeter system
right around your board there.

♪ We danced in the sand ♪

♪ And the water rose
higher and higher ♪

I gotta say, you know,
seeing you and this,

I really miss...
I miss the work, I really do.

If you're really interested
in doing something again, I'll
introduce you to the producer.

- Really?
- He's desperate for people to write.

They need songs every week.
I'm inundated.

- I'm overworked at the moment.
- [Laughing]

I gotta tell you, you know what?
I would really love it.

[Cheryl] You're too good
for this stuff, but...

[Jay] It's great. Your mom is gonna
be proud when she sees this castle.

- Hey, what's this? A sand castle?
- Hey, Mom.

- It's a sand fort.
- Oh.

It's a fort.

Listen, I've got some great news.
I got a job today.

- You got a job?
- Uh-huh.

- A job? Really?
- Yeah.

Doing what?

Well, you see, Cheryl's
friends with the producer,

and I'm gonna be doing
the only thing I know how to do.

I'm gonna be writing songs.

That's not the only thing
you know how to do.

You're an artist.

You wanna see
something cool, Luma?

Well, Jay, the artist in me is gonna be
writing songs for "Where The Action Is."

"Jay, the artist in me is
gonna be writing songs...

for some pop bubble-gum show,
Jay, and I'm really excited about it."

- I mean, will you listen to yourself?
- What?

You don't need a job.
You have money.

And if you're not gonna use it
to develop yourself as an artist,

then get rid of it.

Throw it away!
Throw it in the fucking ocean!

All right, Jay,
I'll get rid of it.

But you know what?
I gotta report to the set in an hour.

You wanna wish me luck?

Denise, the only thing
I wish for you...

and I really, sincerely mean this...
is that you are fired.

That's nice.

I mean that for your own good.
You are doing yourself a disservice.

That's great, Jay.
Thanks. Thanks a lot.

I love you!

- I'm gonna do something.
- Watch it.

♪ ♪ ["Groovin' On You"]

- ♪ I've been groovin' on you
for an hour or two ♪
- ♪ An hour or two ♪

♪ Thinkin' of a way
I can get to you ♪

Come on, girls, this is meant to be
upbeat, not uptight!

Get happy!

♪ How can I get ♪

- ♪ Through to you ♪
- ♪ Before the
other girls do ♪

- ♪ How can I get ♪
- [Cheryl] Yeah, yeah, yeah, see?

♪ Through to you ♪

- ♪ Before the
other girls do ♪
- ♪ How can I get ♪

- What?
- What?

No, it's good.
It's good.

- ♪ How can I get ♪
- [Sighing]

♪ ♪ ["Bermuda"]
♪ I see his eyes ♪

♪ In the water blue ♪

♪ I see his hair ♪

- ♪ In the glowing sunlight ♪
- Jay?

♪ A vision clear ♪

- Luma?
- ♪ Calling me near ♪

♪ In Bermudian waters
Oh, so clear and cold ♪

- [Crying]
- Annie, open the goddamn door.

[Knocking]
Annie, what the hell is this?

- Okay, what is happening?
- Your man flipped his lid.

Only this time,
he lost the kids.

- Jay?
- Yeah, Jay.

He took them to the museum
and he came home without them.

- Have you called the police?
- Yes, I called the police
and the kids are okay.

They found them hiding in
some old ice cream truck in the museum.

Okay, fine.
Why didn't you call me?

You were on the set!
I couldn't reach you!

All right.

Oh, and by the way,
he lost my child too, Denise.

- I understand, Annie.
- No, you don't.

Where is Jay?

He just tore up the place and
dragged the mattress into the studio.

- Okay, he's fine.
Let me go speak to Jay...
- Yeah, yeah.

Go speak to your man,
'cause that's what you need to do.

- Don't you dare, dare
speak about Jay like that.
- Go deal with him!

- [Door Opening]
- ♪ I see his lips ♪

- ♪ In the coral ♪
- Jay?

My mother, she used to, uh...

- She used to sing this song
when we were kids.
- ♪ In the water blue ♪

She had big eyes, like you.

Jay, knock it off.
You lost the kids.

Do you understand
that when you come home,

you have to have
the kids with you?

- Do you understand that?
- I mean, we were playing.

We were at the museum.
We were playin'. We were havin' fun.

Do you know that Howard is
gonna be calling any minute,

and he's gonna want to speak to Luma,
and what am I supposed to tell him, Jay?

- What am I supposed to tell him?
- One minute they were there.

One minute they were there?

- And the next minute they were...
- You would like me to say...

that one minute they were there,
and the next minute they were just gone.

- Is that it, Jay?
- [Lid Slamming, Needle Scratching]

- [Knocking]
- [Annie] Denise, the cops are here.

Oh, Luma, come here, sweetie.

- Did you have a little adventure?
- Thank you.

- Thank you very much, officers.
- You're welcome, ma'am.

- If I was you, I would be
so furious with him.
- What am I supposed to do?

People want you to promise
through sickness and in health
and make that commitment...

and then they want you to
check out the minute there's a problem.

Well, I can't do that.
I'm his wife.

And what, am I supposed to walk away
from him now that he's in trouble?

Can't do that.

Would he walk out on me if
I was falling apart?

No, of course he wouldn't.

Well, if you won't leave him
then you'd... You'd better help him.

I don't know how to help him.

Well, I'd get him a doctor.

I hate doctors.

Okay, artist in crisis.

- That's why people call me.
- Look, look, look, Doc.

He's been holed up in that studio
for three weeks...

without bathin'
or talkin' to anyone.

I don't mean to minimize
Jay's state.

I apologize.

Are you fearful that you,
or your loved ones, are in danger?

No, he'd never hurt,
you know, me or Luma, no.

Do you believe
he's using narcotics?

Well, I mean,
he smokes a little grass...

- And, you know,
he does some psychedelics...
- Mm-hmm.

And mushrooms and peyote.

- But he's down on hard drugs.
- Yeah.

So basically...

you want him to know
you're concerned and that you care.

And that you want
to be reassured...

that he's okay.

I want him to know
that I care about him...

and I want him to know
I love him...

and l... I really want to make sure
that he finishes his album,

because I know how important
it is to him, you know?

It's everything.

I can help you, okay?

Uh, Jay?

A friend of yours stopped by.

[Dr. Jones]
Jay, it's Jonesy.

Hey, Jonesy, man.

[Jay]
What's happenin'?

Hey, man, I'd like to come in
and rap for a minute.

You know?

Oh, well, I don't know, man.
I'm workin', I'm real busy.

I'm talkin' to my muse, man.

Maybe you could
introduce me to her.

I'm, uh, single now, you know.

Where are you at, man?
Hey.

There you are.

Man, it is...

so far out to see you again.

[Dr. Jones]
Goin' through some changes, huh?

[Inhaling]

Doctor has brought some...

herbal medicine.

[Inhaling]

Where's the muse?

I could use a little
inspiration myself.

[Jay]
You know where to find it, man.

The muse.

She lives in the cave...

where everything
you ever lost lives.

But...

you have everything, Jay.

I had everything.

I lost everything.

I lost everything that mattered.

[Jay] I lost everything
that ever mattered.

[Keys Dropping]

'Til I met Denise.

You saw her.
Oh, man.

She's so beautiful.
And her kid.

- Left her fuckin' kid
at the museum, man.
- Jay.

- Suppose you heard about that.
- Jay, listen.

Man, you spaced out.

Man, you know me, man. You know
I love kids and I love animals and shit.

- I wouldn't fuckin'...
- You spaced out, man.

Listen, you're dealin'
with some heavy shit.

You got people tellin' you
you're the voice of your generation...

and, "What's he gonna
say next?"

You gotta cut yourself
some slack.

Cut Jay some slack
and pick up...

on the positive vibes.

They're there, man. They're all
around you, people who love you.

- That little girl, she loves you.
- Yeah.

That groovy new old lady, man,

- She digs you, she's there for you!
- Yeah, Denise.

Pick up on 'em.

Denise, man,
she gave it all back to me.

Yeah. Yeah.

Pick up on that.
Hang on to that.

- Hold on to that, man.
- Jonesy, man.

You got so much, huh?

All right.

♪ ♪ ["Don't You Think
It's Time"]

♪ Of a song
I thought was yours ♪

♪ But I know life
was overrated ♪

♪ Before you walked in
through my door ♪

♪ You're so shiny ♪

♪ You're so fine ♪

Oh, Jay!

♪ Come on wiggle for me ♪

♪ Don't you think it's time ♪

Oh.

[Moaning]

[Whispering]
It's beautiful.

It's so beautiful, Jay.

- It's so beautiful.
- Yeah?

I was so scared, Jay.

I was so scared.
I thought you didn't love me.

And then you told the doctor
that you lost...

Oh, no.

[Sobbing]
That you'd lost everything.

Oh, God.

♪ Don't you think it's time ♪

♪ Take my love ♪

Oh, Jay, please don't
leave me again, please.

[Laughing]

Be sss...

- [Kissing Sounds]
- ♪ Take me with you ♪

♪ You're so fine ♪

- It's beautiful, Jay.
- Yeah.

- You like it?
- ♪ Don't you think
it's time ♪

I'm still working
on a new ending.

[Faintly]
I love you.

Now, we have to start working
on your new album.

Oh, I don't know, Jay.

Remember, I'm kind of
a pacifist, so...

I don't know if I feel I should,
you know, force my work on the public.

[Laughing]

- It'd be a concept album.
- Mm-hmm?

Only it'd be...

It'd be so much better
than what we guys are doin'.

Because it'd be more personal,

genuine.

- Well, maybe someday.
- Baby.

Hmm?

I want you
to make this record...

more than anything
I could ever want for myself.

Can you dig that?

Can you?

Hey.

You know what, Handsome?

Why don't we get you
all dressed up...

and we can go out and go to the Whiskey
and go see Doris sing.

And we'll call Cheryl
and get some of the gang...

and, you know, we'll
have a real celebration.

[Sighing]
Yeah, that sounds groovy.

- Really? Yes?
- Yeah.

- Yeah.
- Okay, good.

- Babe?
- Hmm?

Why don't you
run ahead without me?

I just had a couple flashes
and I want to lay down the tracks...

- Before I forget them.
- You sure?

You run ahead and have fun,
and when you come home...

we'll smoke a little grass
and we'll do it 'til the sun comes up.

- All right?
- Oh, Jay.

[Kissing Sounds]

[Denise Chuckling]

- And listen, by the way.
- Yes?

Your mother?
She was full of shit.

You fit.
You fit just groovy.

♪ Some folks know about it
Some don't ♪

♪ Some will learn to shout it
Some won't ♪

♪ But sooner or later, baby ♪

♪ There's a ditty say
you're gonna have to get it ♪

♪ Right down to
the real nitty gritty ♪

♪ Right down to the real
nitty gritty ♪

♪ To the nitty gritty
Ba, Ba-Da, Boom, Boom
The nitty gritty ♪

[Whistling]

[Whistling]

♪ ♪ [Saxophone Solo]

♪ Oooh ♪

♪ Oooh ♪

- [Whistling]
- [Surf Crashing]

- ♪ Nitty gritty
One, two ♪
- ♪ One, two ♪

♪ Nitty gritty Oh, yeah ♪

♪ ♪ ["Man From Mars"]

♪ I fall apart ♪

♪ Every time I picture you ♪

♪ Swallowed by the dark ♪

[Journalists Indistinct]

- ♪ There is no center
to my life now ♪
- Stay away, okay?

- ♪ No grace in my heart ♪
- [Indistinct]

♪ Man from Mars ♪

[Journalist] What was the last
conversation you had with your husband?

- ♪ I called and called ♪
- They think it's my fault.

They think it's all my fault.

♪ The silence
is so full of sounds ♪

♪ You're in them all ♪

[Guru Dave] Denise,
when people take their own lives...

♪ ♪ ["Between Two Worlds"]

♪ Off in the distance
a cool wind is blowin' ♪

it's difficult for their souls
to let go of this plane.

♪ I'm not who I was
and I'm not where I'm goin' ♪

The reason you can't
let go of Jay's memory...

♪ I'm so tired of knowin'
there's no way of knowin' ♪

is because his soul
still clings to this planet...

instead of moving on.

♪ You left me stranded
between two worlds ♪

♪ You turned me into
a mixed-up girl ♪

♪ You left me stranded
between two worlds ♪

[Denise]
I understand, Guru Dave.

But what can I do about it?

[Guru Dave]
Meditate. Pray.

You must visualize
Jay's release for him.

♪ Is it nicer where you are ♪

♪ Do you ever think of me ♪

[Annie]
Oh, what's that? Cotton?

- Annie, come on. Guru Dave said that...
- Fuck Guru Dave.

I milked goats,
churned butter, bailed hay.

I planted radishes, magic mushrooms and
weed for five goddamn months, Denise!

My spiritual lessons are mastered!
I saw God! Let's go!

- Goddamn!
- All right, girls!

Get up out of the manure!

I'm buying dinner!

- Thank you, Lord, for New Yorkers.
- [Joel Chuckles]

- Where you been?
- Denise, I've returned.

- Annie.
- Joel.

Hey, James,
how you doin', huh? Luma.

- Denise.
- I think I know him.

Who's your friend?
How are you? You look great.

- Hey, Joel.
- You look great.

I mean, you look great
to be so skinny. How are you?

These your friends over here?

- Hey, wow, I love this place.
- Come on, Joel.

- Share with your sister, okay?
- She ain't my sister.

I'm almost your sister.

Hey, no arguing or you won't
get caramel sundaes later.

Denise, eat your hamburger, all right?
You look like a vampire.

[Joel] All that fresh air
and health food'll kill you.

After dinner, you guys can watch TV in
this first-class joint I booked us into.

- [Luma] I hate it.
- [James] I love it.

- [Joel] You don't know
what's happenin' on TV.
- Same old Joel.

You goin' for a swim?

What are you doin'?

I'm just spacin' out, you know.
I'm talkin' to my Jay.

Mm-hmm.

Well, what's that
supposed to prove?

[Sighing]

Because Guru Dave said...

that if I can help Jay
let go of life,

then I'm gonna be okay.

Jay did let go of life.

He drowned himself.
He's dead.

You couldn't save him
while he was alive...

and now you're gonna waste
your own precious life and Luma's...

tryin' to save him
after he's dead?

- That makes sense to you?
- Yeah, it does.

You just wouldn't get it.

You just don't get it.
You never will.

Well, I know one thing,
that the only sense...

any of these jerks you've
allowed to sidetrack you...

have had in common is a belief
in your talent, I know that.

Yeah.

Well, you know, talent...
[Chuckling]

is pretty meaningless
when someone you love is dead.

Your talent is meaningless
to you, Denise.

It always has been.

- From day one you were tellin' me
how you wanted to make a record.
- I made a record.

- Yeah.
- About a thousand years
ago, and it flopped.

Okay? I put myself out there
and they didn't want me.

And they were right.
They were right.

I failed and I've accepted it...

and I have come to peace with it
and I've gone on with my life.

And so you give up
after one flop, huh?

I thought you were made
of tougher stuff.

The last thing I ever took
you to be was a coward.

Look at you, out in the mud,
pullin' up turnips!

[Sighing]

You know, I don't need
a lecture, okay?

I'm a little old
for a little pep talk from Joel.

Especially from you. You wouldn't know
the first thing about...

giving yourself to someone,
about sharing your life with someone,

sharing your pain with them.

You wouldn't know the
first thing about it.

- You think you're the only one
shit happens to, huh?
- Yeah.

Huh?
Well, think again, kiddo.

I've had my own share
of disappointments...

in this secondary existence
of a life I live.

In my business I've been disappointed
and, yeah, big surprise,

in my big dumb heart,
and it didn't come from playing it safe.

- [Laughing]
- You said yourself...

that the very thing Jay wanted
was for you to make that record.

- Yeah.
- And if he hasn't let go of life,

it's 'cause he's as disgusted as I am
to see you sittin' here,

feelin' sorry for yourself
and givin' up!

- Oh, you're fuckin' disgusted?
- That's right.

You wouldn't even have a life
if it wasn't for me!

- That's right!
- You're the one who's a fuckin' leech!

- I am a leech, that's right!
- Yeah, you are!

- That's why I'm here.
- You wouldn't have a life
if it wasn't for me!

- Oh, really?
- You live every fuckin'
thing through me!

- So fuck you!
- Fuck me?

- Yeah, fuck you!
- Then fuck off! Fuck you!

- No, fuck you!
- No, fuck you!

- That's right, hit me!
- [Screaming]

- Go ahead! Go ahead!
- [Sobbing]

I am sad!

And I'm alone.

[Sobbing]

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

[Sobbing]

♪ Oooh ♪

No, no, no, no.

[Denise] It's not gonna distort.
I want it in the red.

- ♪ Oooh ♪
- All right, Jay. Help me out, man.

I want a high end
on the vocal...

and I wanna round out
the bottom on the bass.

Whoa, what was that?
Who you talkin' to, huh?

Joel, I'm talking to Jay
'cause I need his help on the EQs.

As long as it's work-related,
you can talk to dead guys.

[Chuckling]
Thanks.

Everyone is excited
about this album.

You realize that?
Even your old pal.

- Who?
- John Murray.

- Well, there's a song
about him in here, so...
- A song for everyone...

- But the guy who stuck around.
- Joel.

[Joel] Even moved out to this
ridiculous town...

that doesn't deserve
to be called a city.

Joel, let's go to work, okay?

- That's why I'm here.
- Okay.

You guys, that was great.
That was great.

[Musicians Chattering]

Okay, here we go.
Let's try one.

Come here, wish me luck,
sweetie pie.

[Engineer] "A Boat On The Sea,"
take two. This is piano track only.

This one's for you, Joely.

[Over Speaker]
♪ There's a lamp that won't
light in my poetry room ♪

♪ And children out playing
and a big full moon ♪

♪ My man's barricaded
there in his womb ♪

♪ He'll be coming out soon ♪

♪ I remember when I met him
he blew in like a wind ♪

♪ No one was more beautiful
or dangerous than him ♪

♪ He blew through my soul
like a tangerine wind ♪

♪ He'll be coming out soon ♪

♪ I never knew ♪

♪ I was built so strong ♪

♪ My heart ♪

♪ My heart
is a boat on the sea ♪

♪ I never thought ♪

♪ I was built for hurricanes ♪

♪ My heart ♪

♪ My heart is a boat
on the sea ♪

♪ Luxury looms
on a fog-bound day ♪

♪ I'm not alone now
and I'm not afraid ♪

♪ I'm clean and I'm free
It's all stripped away ♪

♪ My debts are paid ♪

♪ I wonder if he ever looks
down on the sea ♪

♪ And thinks about the time
that he spent with me ♪

♪ I know everything's
exactly how it has to be ♪

♪ All's right with this world ♪

♪ I never knew ♪

♪ I was built so strong ♪

♪ My heart ♪

♪ My heart
is a boat on the sea ♪

♪ I never thought ♪

♪ I was built for hurricanes ♪

♪ My heart ♪

♪ My heart
is a boat on the sea ♪

♪ In the cold and the dark ♪

♪ You're the grace of my heart ♪

♪ In the cold and the dark ♪

♪ You're the grace of my heart ♪

♪ In the cold and the dark ♪

♪ You're the grace
of my heart ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ["God Give Me Strength"
by Elvis Costello]

♪ Now I have nothin'
So God, give me strength ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm weak ♪

♪ And awake ♪

♪ And if I'm strong ♪

♪ I might still break ♪

♪ And I don't have
anythin' to share ♪

♪ That I won't throw away
into the air ♪

♪ That song is sung out ♪

♪ This bell is rung out ♪

♪ She was the light
that I'd bless ♪

♪ She took my last chance
of happiness ♪

♪ So God, give me strength ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ I can hold on to ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ When the phone doesn't ring ♪

♪ And I'm lost ♪

♪ And imaginin' ♪

♪ Everythin' that kind of love
is worth ♪

♪ As I tumble back down
to the earth ♪

♪ That song is sung out ♪

♪ This bell is rung out ♪

♪ She was the light
that I'd bless ♪

♪ She took my last chance
of happiness ♪

♪ So God, give me strength ♪

♪ God if ♪

♪ She'd grant me
her indulgence and decline ♪ ♪

♪ I might as well ♪

♪ Wipe her from my memory ♪

♪ Fracture the spell ♪

♪ As she becomes my enemy ♪

♪ And maybe I was washed out ♪

♪ Like a lip print
on his shirt ♪

♪ See, I'm only human ♪

♪ I want him to hurt ♪

♪ I want him ♪

♪ I want him to hurt ♪

♪ Since I lost the power
to pretend ♪

♪ That there could ever be
a happy ending ♪

♪ That song is sung yet ♪

♪ This bell is rung yet ♪

♪ She was the light
that I'd bless ♪

♪ She took my last chance
of happiness ♪

♪ So God, give me strength ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ Wipe her from my memory ♪

♪ I might as well ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪

♪ God, give me strength ♪ ♪