Bessie Page #2

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Well let me shave you dry.

They don't amount

to much, do they?

You on your own.

- ( train rumbles )

- ( crystals clinking )

- Well, Miss Blue Goose...

- Clarence:
Bessie!

- I thank you for calling.

- Bessie! Bessie, get down

from there.

- Do I audition or--

- Ma:
I heard you in the show.

I know you can sing.

So stay or jump, b*tch.

( chuckles )

- Well, the train is--

- I don't give a damn

about the train,

a thunderstorm,

a shotgun or what.

You just got to decide

for yourself.

Hell, you got

the St. Louis blues,

the Chicago blues,

the Gin House blues,

the "my man

done left me" blues.

They all the same song,

ain't they?

With the same three chords.

And you done heard 'em

about a dozen hundred times

from a dozen hundred people.

So what make folks

wanna hear from you?

So you got to put

something else in it.

The blues is not about

people knowing you.

It's about

you knowing people.

( train whistle blowing )

( patting )

Who done that

to you, huh?

Big old girl like you

letting folks beat on you.

This look like

it might stay forever.

( liquid pouring )

What you doing

fanning yourself

around here for?

Shut the door good

on your way out.

Where you going

without my sugar,

though?

- Mm.

- Mm-hmm.

What you grinning about,

Blue Goose?

What you know about it?

Same thing you know.

( chuckles )

What's your name,

pretty lady?

Bessie Smith.

Miss Bessie Smith.

( music playing )

- So, like we said--

- How many seats

in the house?

- 200.

- I counted 250.

Ah, I meant 200 plus,

give or take.

And you sure

eager to take.

- She need to be here?

- Ma:
She needs to understand

why TOBA stands

for "Tough On Black Asses."

Actually, it stands for

Theater Owners Booking

Association, T-O-B--

- What's the cover?

- A nickel.

Hmm, newspaper ad

say a dime.

- Well, we don't always--

- $12.50.

- Pardon me?

- That's 10 cents

times 250 seats.

Our contract

is 50-50 per head.

$12.50 in advance

every night.

( laughing )

We have no way of knowing

how many people

are actually gonna show up.

We'll refund

your no-shows.

Bessie will be counting

the empty seats.

$12.50.

( chuckling )

Boy, aren't you getting

a hell of a deal?

Now let's talk about

the bar.

What you standing

way back here for?

Keep on going.

I ain't said stop.

A little bit more.

- Ma.

- That's about right.

Now how that feel?

Like I'm about to fall.

That's how

it should feel

every night.

If you're not

risking nothing,

neither will they.

Now where's that heifer

that stole your man?

- Ain't nobody here.

- Pick somebody.

Right there.

How about her?

Three rows back

on the left.

- Mm-mmm.

- Yeah.

Yeah, that look

like her.

And what you gotta

say to that b*tch?

And right there.

Oh, there's

that pinched-back man

that stole all your money.

Yeah, that's him.

Tell them

about theyselves.

Go on, baby.

- Bess?

We're rehitching.

- Okay.

( men shouting )

That mighty caboose

right there.

( chatter )

- Man:
That was Bertha--

I mean, Miss Bessie Smith.

- ( piano playing )

- ( scattered applause )

- Man:
Aw, come on now,

be nice, be nice.

We got your headliner

coming up.

Gin.

I got that, Clive.

( coins clink )

Gin'll make you crazy.

Why don't you let me

buy you a whiskey

instead?

That "stand and shout" sh*t

might work back home,

but you got to bring

some hoop-de-doo to get

these silly folk attention.

Don't nobody care

what you think.

You don't know nothin'

from nothin'.

Oh, I ain't trying

to fuss with you,

gorgeous.

Just 'cause you got

a little sport in your strut

don't make you

no authority.

I was just giving you

my opinion, that's all.

I'm gonna see you

later tonight.

- Not hardly.

- Yeah, you will.

- ( cheering, applause )

- Hey.

Say, you seen Ma?

( chuckles )

You were just

talking to her.

( music playing )

I went out last night

With a crowd

of my friends

Must have been women,

'cause I don't like no men

Wear my clothes

just like a fan

Talk to the gals

just like any old man

They say I do it

Ain't nobody caught me

Sure got to

prove it on me...

Oh, wait a minute now,

wait a minute now.

I see some

of your eyes rolling,

trying to find my Johnson.

That ain't ladylike.

Trust me, mama,

I got everything you need.

Ha!

( audience shouting,

laughing )

'Cause they say I do it

Ain't nobody caught me

Sure got to

prove it on me

Sure got

to prove it on me.

( cheering )

I almost got her

to go to bed with me.

- ( laughter )

- Bessie:
You ain't

almost nothing.

What?

Oh, ain't no "almost"

right here, baby.

- ( both moaning )

- All:
Ooh-hoo!

Ma get more tail

than me.

( all chuckling )

What you looking

'round for?

Who gonna see ya?

And so what if they do?

They got to prove it

on you, baby.

( laughter )

They got to prove it

on you, baby.

( knocking )

- ( laughter )

- Sh*t, like they

doing something bad.

What they doing, baby?

Go on with that.

Let the cards

do the talking.

Let the cards do

the motherfucking talking.

What the f***

was she talking about?

Take that bullshit on back

where you got it from.

I told you,

you ain't ready

for the big leagues.

( laughter, chatter )

Oh!

( laughing )

( music playing )

( crowd cheering )

Lord, you see me

weepin'

And you hear me cry

Lord, you see me

weepin'

And you hear me cry

I ain't weepin'

'bout no money

Just that man

of mine

Lord, this mean

old engineer

Cruel as he could be

This mean old engineer

Cruel as he could be

( crowd cheering )

Both:

Took my man away

And blowed the smoke

back at me

Back at me

I'm going down South

Won't be back till fall

Back till fall

I'm going down South...

Crowd:
Yeah!

Won't be back

till fall

If I don't find

my easy rider

Ain't comin' back

at all

- Woman:
Bessie!

- ( crowd cheering )

Yeah, if I don't find

my easy rider...

- Come on, Bessie!

- Ain't comin' back

at all

Back at all.

( cheering )

Yeah, Bessie!

Clarence:

Yeah!

( stammering )

You can't control that.

- Her goddamn ego--

- Whoo-hoo hoo!

I ain't never

seen 'em like that!

We sung that song.

Yeah, I earned

this tonight.

( laughing )

Oh, yeah.

Come on, Ma,

you ain't gonna

drink no co--

I know you ain't drinking

no corn with me.

Remember what I told you

about the blues?

About you knowing the people

and not the other way around?

Yeah.

I knowed everybody in there

and they knowed me.

You sure love yourself.

I see that gin

done finally made you

blow your top, huh?

I did good.

It's not a matter

of you doing good.

You're just busted

'cause they was

yelling for me

more than they was

yelling for you.

You better turn

your damper down.

- I ain't scared of you.

- I ain't never asked you

to be.

All I asked you for

was respect.

Respect for yourself,

respect for these songs.

I ain't see you respect

all this extra money

I'm bringing in here.

Oh, let me

get you told,

little gal,

'cause I can see you ain't

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