I Saw the Light Page #8

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attractive to mothers, Hank.

Jesus, Bobbie.

You're pregnant.

We could get married.

Baby, you don't want to marry me.

Uh-uh.

I will.

That's different.

Boy, I'm a professional

at making a mess of things.

Hank,

if we got married, things would be easier.

They'd be more stable.

And just think,

we'd have this little one right here.

Oh, Bobbie.

I love you.

But not like that.

Not...

Not that way.

'Sides, I'm gonna marry Billie Jean.

She know that?

Not exactly.

Listen, darlin'.

I'm gonna look after this little baby.

I'll send you money,

and I'll be its papa, even.

There ain't gonna be no marriage.

Hank, you are really screwed up.

I know.

I pulled every string

to get him back where he started,

the Hayride in Louisiana.

It wouldn't be the same money or exposure,

but at least he wouldn't be idle.

Hank idle, damn.

Before long, he had

a Nashville showgirl with child.

And shortly after that,

he married Billie Jean Jones

in the City Auditorium, New Orleans.

It's not just my back, baby.

I feel...

I feel like my chest is,

like, getting jumped on.

Who are you?

LeBeau, the promoter.

And you?

Dr. Marshall.

What kind of doctor?

I specialize in alcoholism.

What does that mean?

What you got, Doc?

What's the man have?

It means

I've been there and back, ma'am,

and I will help Mr. Williams

to a speedy recovery.

Let the man in!

It will be better, son.

Chloral hydrate.

So powerful, they use it

to sedate circus animals.

It's never supposed to be

administered with alcohol

or to someone with a heart condition,

which Hank likely had.

Marshall,

his di ploma was from the Chicago

University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

He bought it off a salesman

at a gas station for $25.

And then Hank called me

and told me he was in Marshall's care.

How you doing, son?

How long we got left?

We can be done, Hank.

Just call it a day.

I got something

I want to run past you.

You sure?

Your cheatin' heart

Will make you weep

You'll cry and cry

And try to sleep

But sleep won't come

The whole night through

Your cheatin ' heart

Will tell on you

When tears come down

Like falling rain

You'll toss around

And call my name

You'll walk the floor

The way I do

Your cheatin ' heart

Will tell on you

Hey.

I heard you got a new toy.

Oh, it's a choo-choo train.

Are you gonna play with me?

I'll be right there just as soon as I can.

You know how much I miss you,

don't you, Bocephus?

Than all the ants on the sidewalks,

and all the leaves in the trees.

Hmm.

That's right.

Hey, baby, can I talk to Daddy?

Thank you.

Hey, Hank? We got to go now.

It's getting past his bedtime,

and I don't want him getting worked up.

Audrey, why don't you

bring him up to Shreveport this weekend?

Well, that won't work out.

Well, why not?

I mean, it'd just be for the Saturday.

You could leave him here and,

you know, we'll bring him back.

Well, we got plans Saturday.

Well, how about Sunday, then?

No, that won't work.

We're just gonna have to find

a better time, okay?

So, I'm gonna talk to you later.

Okay, hon? Bye.

The first task of the new administration

will be to review and reexamine...

...we have a time-out

existing on the playing field

on the part of the University of Alabama...

Do you have to?

Yeah, I kind of do.

Well, honey,

I'm real glad you're skipping

some of them dates.

Taking some time.

And I'm real glad

we're getting out of Shreveport.

But to tell you the truth,

I don't really want to see your mother.

I know that.

Still, at least, she'll be happy to see me.

Lately, people see me coming,

they want to cross the street.

Well, that's just not true.

I'm sorry, baby.

For what?

Everything.

A.V. Bamford had booked Hank

for two dates at the end of December.

New Year's Eve in Charleston,

West Virginia,

New Year's Day in Canton, Ohio.

Hank looked around

for someone to drive him in his own car.

And when he couldn't find any friends

to take him up on that,

he called a buddy of his at

Lee Street Taxi in Montgomery.

And that fella

got his 17-year-old son,

Charles Carr, to do the job.

Charles was a freshman

at Auburn on holiday break.

Can you take care of that for me?

Yes, sir.

Be careful with that, Charles.

Come here, baby.

I'll call you when I get up to Charleston.

How come I can't come?

Go back to Shreveport,

I'll meet you in a couple days.

You don't have to stay.

I don't see the big deal, me coming along.

Well,

it's a long-ass trip.

And, truthfully,

we might get real sick of each other.

You might end up going at me, right?

Mmm-hmm.

One more for luck, huh?

- Watch your head, Mr. Williams.

- Thank you, sir.

What are you smiling about?

Well, another reason

I think you shouldn't come,

I could use the leg room.

Drive safe, Charles.

He's a real SOB, but I think I love him.

Yes, ma'am.

Listen to the boss, Charles.

I'll see you in Louisiana, darlin'.

Happy New Year.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I've been in show business

for almost 20 years.

But today,

will be the most difficult task

I've ever had to perform.

This morning,

on his way to Canton to do this show,

Hank Williams died in his car.

I wandered so aimless

Life filled with sin

I wouldn't let my

Dear Savior in

Then Jesus came like

A stranger in the night

Praise the Lord

I saw the light

I saw the light

I saw the light

No more darkness

No more night

Now I'm so happy

No sorrow in sight

Praise the Lord...

Montgomery, Alabama,

January 4th, 1953.

Hank Williams laid to rest in Dixie.

I saw the light...

The top singer-songwriter died tragically

of severe heart damage.

He was 29 years old.

In only six years of recording,

he had a remarkable 36 hit songs

and sold over 11 million records.

Fans, friends and family

gave the boy from Mount Olive

the state's largest send-off ever,

accompanied by the mournful sounds

of his buddies' steel guitars

and weeping fiddles.

No more darkness

No more night...

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill

He sounds too blue to fly

The midnight train is whining low

I'm so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star

Lights up a purple sky

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome I could cry

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome I could cry

Goodbye Joe me gotta go,

me oh my oh

Me gotta go pole the pirogue

down the bayou

My Yvonne the sweetest one,

me oh my oh

Son of a gun we 'll have

big fun on the bayou

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie

and fillet gumbo

'Cause tonight I'm gonna see

my ma cher amio

Pick guitar,

fill fruit jar and be gay-o

Son of a gun we 'll have

big fun on the bayou

Jambalaya and a crawfish pie

and fillet gumbo

'Cause tonight I'm gonna see

my ma cher amio

Pick guitar,

fill fruit jar and be gay-o

Son of a gun we 'll have

big fun on the bayou

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