Songcatcher Page #7

I see you two.

Now you quit that.

Fate:
Hey, Johnson.

I got a letter here

for the doctor.

She ain't here right now,

but you can leave it.

No, no.

You see this here word?

That means it's important

and she got to get it

right away.

Urgent? I can read.

She's gone to Alton's Creek.

I'll take it over.

You'd do that for me,

ol' Fate?

Sure, Johnson, sure.

- I'll go with you.

- Naw, you stay here.

- Why?

- 'Cause I said.

U h-uh,

I'm coming with you.

You deliver it

into her own hands.

Oh, I will, I will.

Thank you.

By e.

Sure, I'll deliver

the letter, Doc.

You can't do that.

That's Doc's letter.

- Give me that.

- Come and get it.

Del, come back here!

(Deladi's laughing)

Oof, sh*t.

Del?

Oh, God!

Oh, God.

(sobbing)

Oh, God.

Elna, we have to get back

to the school.

Elna!

Fate!

Elna!

Deladis:

Johnson said it was urgent.

(giggling)

Wallace's voice:

"Dear Lily,

It is with great pride

that I write.

I took the liberty of showing

the ballads you sent me

to Cyrus Whittle.

He immediately confirmed

the importance of your discovery

and thinks it imperative

the ballads be collected urgently.

The dean has s e cured the funds.

You'll be thrilled to know

Whittle himself

intends to collect the songs

and insisted that you continue

as his assistant."

Assistant!?

"please respond immediately.

Regards, Wallace."

Uncle Cratis is preaching

the gospel tomorrow.

Yes, dear.

Deladis:
Can I wear

my new green calico?

(screaming)

No!

It's afire!

Elna:

Harriet, no! Run!

Oh, no.

Come on. Come on.

Oh, my God.

(whooping and laughing)

- My glasses!

- No, no, no.

Elna:
Lily!

Lily!

Goodbye, my darling girl.

Tom:
Oh, good Lord.

Go away.

Elna...?

How am I going to live

without her?

Perhaps you could find her.

She swore if anyone

ever found out...

she'd disappear.

My Harriet.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Hey, Doc, look.

Deladis:
Doc?

Cratis:
You all don't

have to belie v e me,

but you got to belie v e

the word of God.

I know you belie v e the Bible,

and the Bible says,

"For her sins

have reached unto Heaven

and God has remembered

her iniquities."

- Amen.

- "Therefore shall her plagues

come in one day.

Death, and mourning

and famine

and she shall be utterly

destroy ed with fire."

Amen.

"For strong is the Lord God

that judges her."

Amen.

Where did you get to?

I was looking for you.

"Thou has polluted the land

with thy whoredoms

and with thy wickedness"!

Amen.

I'm going to bust you up,

Hilliard!

Tom!

They're the whores

of Babylon come to tempt us, Tom!

That snake right there,

and that little weasel next to him,

theyre the ones who set fire

to the school!

And all this while women

and children were still inside!

They're evil women!

Now are you going

to listen to them

or are you going

to listen to me?

I am ashamed of you boys.

I ain't seen nothing but good

come out of that school.

Them women were sent

by the devil himself.

Only wickedness comes

of book learning.

- Amen!

- Cratis...

I ain't never had a chance

to learn nothing.

And my kids ain't neither

because they is always

working too hard

keeping food on the table.

But I got grandbabies

as smart as any others!

And I want them

to have a chance.

Man:
That's the devil

speaking through him.

- Amen.

- Amen.

Reese Kincaid!

You said

you'd never leave me.

Josie...

Tom:
(music) A lilac comes (music)

(music) On a poisoned thorn (music)

(music) It has roots

dirty and torn (music)

(music) Young-uns a-playin' (music)

(music) As the black crow flies (music)

(music) Mama's weeping (music)

(music) Hear the mountains cry (music)

(music) There was another (music)

(music) A wild dirt flower (music)

(music) Cold was her heart (music)

(music) And as dark as dire (music)

(music) Tears on the ground (music)

(music) For her love did die (music)

(music) 'Neath the bloody moon (music)

(music) Hear the mountains cry (music)

(music) Oh, dig his grave (music)

(music) Narrow and deep (music)

(music) Set a jug of whiskey (music)

(music) By his thirsty feet (music)

(music) And lay two pennies (music)

(music) On his roving eyes (music)

(music) Two women wailing (music)

(music) As the mountains cry. (music)

Thank you, dear.

Elna...

will you be all right

if I leave?

So soon?

Why don't you come with me?

You can live as you please

in a big city.

I've thought about it.

I want to reopen the school.

I was thinking about asking you

to stay with me.

It needs another teacher.

I didn't think you would.

I shall miss you.

- (music) Oh the wind blows weary (music)

- My little elf.

(music) And the willows sigh... (music)

I'll miss you, too.

(music) Rivers of sorrow (music)

(music) And the mountains cry (music)

(music) Rivers of sorrow... (music)

(music) And the mountains cry. (music)

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, too.

I'm sorry

about that school

and I'm sorry

about your book.

You made most of us

feel real proud.

Thank you.

I'm sure someone else will come

and write down all of the songs.

- Are you giving up?

- U m-hmm.

I realize that it was

the voices singing them

that I wanted everyone to hear.

Are you going back

to your university, then?

No, no, I don't think so.

- Where are you going?

- I'm not sure.

Come with me?

How will I earn a living

down the mountain?

With your music.

I couldn't take care

of you right doing this.

Then work in a coal mine.

No, I did that once

and I guarantee you

I never ever will again.

So you're just content

to sit on a mountain

and hide your head

in a jug, is that it?

A man's meant

to provide for his wife

and his family, Lily.

You were meant

to make music.

Besides which, I don't want you

to take care of me.

- And I do have a plan.

- Oh, of course you do.

Did you ever have a day

without a plan?

It includes you, Tom.

Do you want to hear it?

Go on.

Well...

nowadays, phonographs

only cost about $ 10.

I think that soon everyone

is going to have one.

I was thinking

that we could...

make cylinders

of mountain music and s ell them.

Who the hell would buy them?

Oh, I think everyone would.

I know they would, Tom.

The way the music

makes you feel,

of course they would.

You're just about as crazy...

Hey!

What are you doing here?

Go on before I shoot you!

I want to talk to Deladis.

Fate:
Del...

I come to get you

to be my wife.

I don't want

no part of you.

If you don't take me now,

I'm marrying Polly.

I went to the woods...

and the knot didn't hold.

You're Polly's now.

I love you, child.

Tom:
Hey, Del...

we're going

down the mountain.

Do you want

to come with us?

We're going to make cylinders

of mountain music

to s ell to outlanders.

(laughing)

What?

Isn't that the craziest thing

you ever heard?

It's the craziest.

Viney:
Of course

she'll come with you.

Granny?

Tom, I'll be fine.

I'll be right here

when you come back to visit.

Tom:
Why don't you

back up aways,

until one of us

can pull over?

Perhaps I'd better get out.

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