Honeydripper

Come on, lay off with that scratch!

Ain't bothering you.

Yes it is, that ain't no kind of music.

At least I make a sound.

Yeah, and it's a nasty one.

Wanna try again tonight? Might as well.

MUSIC PLAYS FROM CLUB

# I know a gal by the name of Maid Lou

# She shook it so much she had the German flu

# No matter how she done it

# Oh, no matter how she done it

# Well, no matter how she done it

# She done it just the same

# The women didn't like her

# And they called her out of her name

# But the men, they loved her

# Mmm, it was a crying shame

# No matter how she done it

# No matter how she done it

# Well, no matter how she done it

# She done it just the same

# No matter how she done it

# She done it just the same

# Yes, she did. #

You take it for a while.

They making all that racket again at Toussaint's.

Yeah, all them people over there buying drinks,

throwin' that money after them dice and what not.

Lucky we got none of that here.

# You can drink your liquor

# You can drink your cold can beer

# You can drink your good whisky

# You can drink your cool can beer

# You can stay out all with your sweet gal

# But, Papa, don't you leave me here

# I hear that wild ox moaning

# Looking for that Texas... #

Sounding good, huh?

Sounds fine. Always has.

Not much of a crowd. Not a crowd at all,

just some stiffs who wanna drink themselves to sleep without the music waking them up.

You oughta advertise.

Got an attraction like Bertha Mae.

Singing is one thing, Slick, but whether people wanna look at you

when you do it is another. Got quite a number

over the Toussaint's place tonight. Sounds like it.

Lots of young folks coming in to listen to that box of his.

I don't see why we don't just turn our box on, let folks feed it nickels like they do.

The lady is singing.

# You hear me pleading, baby Baby, don't you leave me here... #

But didn't nobody come to listen to her, Slick.

# Come here, sweet Daddy

# Let me whisper in your ear... #

Like the man say, you can't argue with failure.

You know why Slick here's like a preacher?

Cos he do all his best work on his knees!

Never mind him, he's just drunk.

I heard she put a ring through it, use it to drag him round the house.

Come on, you know Tyrone don't like no scuffle in here.

I ought to get me old lady, help out with the groceries...

You just gotta sweet talk her some, give her a little poke every now and then.

You gonna drink, or you gonna lay Gentlemen!

Miss Delilah.

Let's behave ourselves.

What are you boys doing in here?

Out, out! And what are you doing behind that bar?

It's just for a minute. That's 60 seconds too long.

Maceo, take that child's place.

You bring people their food, Nobody's eating!

That's cos nobody's here but these couple of lost souls.

Haven't had an appetite since they gave over to the devil.

Evening, Maceo, you looking good tonight!

Likewise, Miss Nadine.

What can I do for you?

Oh, you know what you can do for me, sweet man.

What would you like... to drink?

How many is that tonight?

Don't talk to me about that, baby.

Not tonight. I don't want China Doll behind that bar.

She's got to help out.

Not behind there she doesn't. You know she's not supposed to get excited.

Not much chance of that in here.

Harvest hands all crowded in to Toussaint's place.

Young ones.

You'll get some of them.

They'll stick their noses in here, get one little sniff of the music and go home.

Maybe that's the wages of sin.

Ain't no sin happening here tonight, baby.

And there sure as hell ain't no wages.

Your God wants to chastise some sinners, he'd best go over to Toussaint's.

Got a whole bar room crowded with them.

He's not my God.

He's everybody's God.

How did the meeting go tonight?

Viola Underwood found the Lord.

If she'd found Him last, she wouldn't have come through.

She must have lost Him again between then and now cos she come down that aisle tonight hollering in tongues.

The spirit didn't move you, though?

Not yet.

Maybe it's too late for me.

I can't believe he's serving Alton Stokely. That poor man.

Toussaint cut his credit off.

Either he gets it here, or he drinks that paint peeler Willie Pettigrew cuts up back in his swamp.

I'm gonna go home, say a prayer for that man.

Say one for me too, baby.

Outstanding, baby.

Outstanding. You've still got the voice.

You think so? - Chills down my spine just to hear you.

Ty, I'm gonna be a little late Saturday.

No need to come in if you don't want to.

I've made other arrangements.

Other arrangements?

Try something new in here. You can't do that. Yes, he can, darling.

This is his place, and he can do whatever he wants.

You'll know where to find me when you need me.

Put the box on now, Ty?

Yeah, put the box on.

I'm gonna crank it up some, see if we can draw some life in here.

LOUD JAZZ MUSIC

There it goes again.

Electricity don't like that jukebox.

Must be a short circuit in the juke here.

Got to get the power company No, they turned my juice off last month.

I don't want you sniffing around that splice out Maceo did.

It's nice in here.

Kind of romantic.

I'm gonna have to go out back, wiggle some things around.

Don't you wiggle nothing round unless I'm there to see it.

You don't worry, folks, bar's still open.

Evening, folks.

Evening, Sherriff.

Your light's gone out.

Looks like it.

You'll know that'll be a violation of something or other.

We're just about to close up here.

Oh. Ooh, your wife been cooking?

Not tonight.

Went to a revival chat.

Ah, I stood by there myself.

Them niggers were singing up a storm.

I just came out here to look in on Toussaint.

Had that shooting two nights ago.

Lots of fighting in there.

There is that.

Course, me and old Toussaint,

we got us an agreement.

Them field hands start sucking down that whisky,

hopping them all up with music, there's gonna be some razors drawn.

Course, he only call me if it's a fatality.

Never been a killing here. Them youngbloods know better than to mess...

Than to mess with Tyrone Purvis.

You've got quite a reputation round here, Tyrone.

People say you put some poor black boy in the grave.

Just people talking.

Uh-huh.

You just remember,

this is my county, Tyrone.

What goes on goes on cos I let it.

Don't want nobody getting too big for their breeches round here.

You folks have a pleasant evening.

Nigger ain't shit in this world.

Speaking for yourself.

You ain't had his club, Tyrone, what do you think you'd be?

You wouldn't be nothing.

If that ain't truth, then grits ain't grocery.

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

That's a terrible noise.

Just the northbound Talladega. Sounds like it always does.

Like a soul being carried away from this life.

Come on in, darling,

before you catch your death out here.

You're lucky the high sheriff ain't seen you crawling out that boxcar.

Does he come around here much?Only when he bored.

You working on a train?Yeah, Kansas City to New Orleans.

What did you get off here for?

I got people here. How about you?

Got tired of sleeping in a boxcar.

Is there a place to stay around here?

Shed right over there got a cot.

And don't mind the rats. Not unless you've got food on you.

I see you and a good meal have been strangers for some time.

Get into town tomorrow, find you need something, tell them Shack Thomas sent you.

They'll know who you're talking about. Thanks.

Name like that sounds like a good place for a musician.

Only night I ever been in jail was a town called Liberty.

The sun come up, you'll see where you landed.

You'd best be out that shed by first light.

Just a weekday night. The chicken man or the ice man

At least you don't owe the electric company.

Yeah, that's a big relief.

You thinking about closing down?

What do you think?The biggest act in New Orleans.

Got him a hit on the radio. He's playing here Saturday night.

I'm thinking I wait till Bertha Mae was gone and I put him up.

Here?

You mean like in this room here?

You know the Tomcat Club in Texicana?

Big Jim Jameson's place? It just went out of business.

Damn. Since Sam is getting sway over

But you ain't never had no guitar... I'm having one now.