Songcatcher Page #4

Really?

I guess I see your point.

Maybe you can

talk some sense

into this stubborn

old woman, Dr. Lily.

Mrs. Butler?

She has no need

of my advice.

Don't you think

she deserves

a nice new house

in Sawyerville?

Time to sing and rest?

She could even learn

to read and write,

instead of working her fingers

to the bone just to get by.

I can make a living on a rock

if I wanted to.

I was born on this mountain

and I'm gonna die on this mountain.

And so are you.

Get going, Giddens.

This place is nothing

but a burden for Tom, Viney.

You know he was made

for other things besides farming.

(painful screaming)

Alice:
Oh. Oh...

(howling)

Isabel, go to my place.

Take the children to my place,

and tell Tom to bring

the milk cow.

Isabel:

Come on, y'all. Come on.

- I'll take them, Viney.

- No! I want you here.

Alice:
Help me, help me, please,

I'm dying.

Oh, I can't stop the bleeding

until I get the baby out.

You gotta help me.

(moaning)

No, no, I couldn't.

She can't do it by hers elf.

Come here, give me your hand.

Give me your hand.

Now put them right here,

like that.

When I tell you to,

you push... hard.

- No. No. No.

- Do it, woman!

Viney:
Ready?

Now!

Viney:
Well, I guess

the good Lord's gonna let us

keep you a little while longer.

And you got yours elf here,

another sweet, little

baby girl.

Will she live?

Well, it was a struggle

there for a bit,

but it's in the good Lord's

hands now.

(sighing)

Alice, you're gonna have to keep

Reese away from you.

Well, if you

don't want butter,

you got to pull

the dasher out in time.

(snickering)

Oh, sweet baby girl.

I hope you grow up smart

like Lily here

and stay single.

(music) When I was single (music)

(music) When I dress ed

mighty fine (music)

(music) Now I am married (music)

(music) Go ragged all the time (music)

(music) I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(music) O, Lord, (music)

(music) Don't I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(chuckling)

(music) When I was single (music)

(music) My shoes did squeak (music)

(music) Now I am married (music)

(music) My shoes they do leak (music)

(music) I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(music) O Lord, (music)

(music) Don't I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(music) Three little babes (music)

(music) Are crying for bread (music)

(music) With none to give them (music)

(music) I'd rather be dead (music)

(music) I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(music) O Lord, (music)

(music) Don't I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(laughing)

(music) When he comes in (music)

(music) It's a curse and a row (music)

(music) knocking down the children (music)

(music) And pulling out my hair (music)

(music) I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(music) O Lord, (music)

(music) Don't I wish I was

a single girl again (music)

(music) Dishes to wash... (music)

Reese, where in hell

have you been?

Alice.

You came home.

Lily...

please take the painting.

Tom:
Did she live?

Yes.

What about the baby?

Hopefully.

Thank the Lord.

(pops cork)

(sighing)

You're having a real backwoods

experience, ain't you?

Are you drunk?

I'm not drunk,

I'm...

celebrating.

Lily:
There's no cause

for celebration, Mr. Bledsoe.

they could still die.

In case it's news to you,

Doctor,

suffering is a woman's lot.

I am perfectly well aware

of that fact, Mr. Bledsoe.

God knows, I wish I weren't.

You really are an ignorant,

drunken lout.

You have absolutely no idea

what that woman

- has just been through!

- Let me tell you something.

My wife died at childbirth

when we were 16 years old.

She bled to death

after I pulled our dead baby out.

So don't you tell me

what I do and don't know!

"Dear Wallace,

Enclosed are 10

of the beautiful ballads

I have collected so far.

I am sure you will realize

what a remarkable

discovery this is.

The songs are virtually

intact,

according to the oldest

known versions,

with wonderful, idiosyncratic

local changes

in a lyric or phrase

here or there.

Best wishes,

Lily."

(banjo strumming)

Whoo! Lord.

Your playing is beautiful.

Actually, that was one of my tunes.

Dexter here just...

took it over,

and made it his own.

- Such striking rhythms.

- Thank you, ma'am.

I'm Lily Penleric.

She's a musicologist.

Mister...?

- Dexter Speaks, ma'am.

- Well, how do you do?

Would you look at Del?

(laughing)

She's all bug eyed.

Ain't you ever seen

a colored man before?

Where would I have?

(chuckling)

Tom:
Where you all headed?

Rose Gentry's.

I'm gonna help Doc here

with writing down

Rose's ballads.

We're going everywhere

the sweet music is.

Rose?

Rose lives way off back

and beyond.

You'll never get there

with that load.

You can't tell

this woman nothing, Tom.

Huh.

Well, aren't you lucky?

Sitting around all day

getting drunk, playing music?

- How lovely.

- Yes, I am.

See, that's what you outlanders

don't understand.

Life is for enjoying,

not just getting and working,

and getting and working.

We do indeed have very different

notions of what enjoyment is.

Deladis:
Wait...!

Lily:
Fate... careful.

(grunting)

Lily:
Oh...!

Stop.

(panting)

I told you,

we couldn't get there

with this thing.

Where's your...

pioneer spirit, Fate?

We can't give-up.

Come on, let's keep trying.

No, Del.

She's crazy.

I've been lugging this thing

everywhere it don't belong.

I'm not risking life and limb

for no stupid song.

I need these recordings.

I need them,

right, Deladis?

Doc...

no one's ever tried to...

haul a thing

like this up here.

Until now. Come along.

I'll show you,

Mr. Honeycutt,

what you can achieve

if you don't give-up.

- (grunting)

- No!

(panting)

You...!

I will not give-up!

Come along.

please, Fate, come with us.

I decided to take

your offer, Earl.

A dollar an acre

and jobs for me and my boys.

Why, if it ain't

the songcatcher.

Earl:
Dr. Lily...

you sure do get around,

don't you?

Lily:
Nice to see you again,

Mr. Giddens.

Mr. And Mrs. Gentry,

I'm Lily Penleric.

We heard you might be

coming this way.

Viney says Doc's awful nice

and you should sing for her.

Doctor, Uncle Cratis

is the one who knows

about every love song

there is.

Except Uncle Cratis got the calling.

He don't hold to singing no more.

I'm sorry, we've seem

to have come at a bad time.

No, we're about finished here.

I said I'd take

a dollar an acre.

Well, now Parley,

that was before I knew

the land was used up.

Well, I wouldn't be

selling it if it weren't.

I appreciate that,

but Mr. McFarland

would have my head

if I gave that much.

The most

I could give is say...

What's that come to?

How many acres

you got again?

About 100,

my daddy always said.

- $50?

- That's all?

That's criminal, Mr. Giddens.

Don't butt in

where you don't belong.

Now the only way these folks

are going to better themselves

is to get the hell off

this mountain

and give-up

their backward ways.

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