And now she's in me
Always with me
Tiny dancer in my hand
Jesus freaks
Out in the street
Handing tickets out for God
Turning back
She just laughs
The boulevard is not that bad
Piano man
He makes his stand
In the auditorium
Looking on
She sings her song
The words she knows The tune she hums
Hold me closer, tiny dancer
I have to go home.
Count the headlights on the highway
You are home.
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today
Hold me closer, tiny dancer
In Carl Jung's opinion, we all have a sixth sense: Intuition.
When you meet someone and you suddenly feel like you can't live without them.
This could be the memory of a past love from the collective unconscious.
- Or it could just be hormones. - [Scattered Laughter]
I'm sorry I can't concentrate.
Rock stars have kidnapped my son.
[Jeff] On the whole, I'd say most of the fuckups in the world...
come from the brain and not the instincts.
My whole thing is to try and make my...
My whole thing is to try and make my brain go away...
but I can't, except onstage.
The brain, I think, should be a softening influence on the instincts...
but the instincts should drive...
trying to reconcile the brain with urges...
that come out of millions of years ago.
The way the brain interprets these instincts...
is a heavy trip.
[Dick] Vallencourt, are you getting on the fucking bus, or what?
Come on, come on. Let's get on the fucking bus.
[Jeff] Usually, I'm brain...
and Russell is instincts.
[Whooping, Shouting]
[Jeff] But on the days when we're both instinct...
that's when we've made the music people know best.
Because it's the best.
Show me any guy who ever said he didn't want to be popular...
and I'll show you a scared guy.
I've studied the entire history of music.
Most of the time, the best stuff is the popular stuff.
It's much safer to say popularity sucks...
because that allows you to forgive yourself if you suck.
And I don't forgive myself. Do you?
Lester, Rolling Stone is calling me. I don't have my key interview.
- I don't know what to say. Days are just going by. - All right. Yeah, yeah.
You're flipping out. It's good. All right.
Uh, this is how you blow their minds.
- He's gonna ask you... This is Ben Fong-Torres, right? - Yeah, yeah.
He's gonna ask you how the story's going, and this is what you do.
Tell him...
you know, it's a think piece...
- [Chuckling] - "A think piece."
about a mid-level band...
struggling with their own limitations...
in the, you know, harsh face of stardom.
- [Chuckling] - "Harsh face."
He'll wet himself.
[Polexia] All dressed up, and no place to go.
Greenville. I'm bored.
[Sapphire] It says the food here is "hearty and adventurous."
[Sapphire] Who hid the quaaludes from me?
I have to pee.
[Beth] Wow, they're cute.
- Let's deflower the kid. - Hmm.
Whoa. Hold on. Hold on. Wait.
Uh, I should leave.
I think things are going backwards for me.
Backwards?
I don't know. I just... I thought maybe we could hang out.
You know, do some stuff back home, like regular stuff.
Get to know each other a little bit better...
and then I'd see you pee.
I mean, that's just the way I usually do it.
You're one of us.
If you come to Cleveland, Bowie's gonna be at Swingo's, the greatest hotel in America...
and I'll introduce you to him and his security guard, Dennis.
Don't you have any regular friends?
Famous people are just more interesting.
Well, I would be worried that they were using me.
[Sighs] Boy. If this was the real world...
Not that anybody's using you. No. Hold on.
I'm not famous, but...
- Your time has come! - Did Russell call?
- Deflower. - Opie must die!
- Oh, no. Stop. We're talking. - Pants him, girls.
- [Giggling] - Opie must die.
No. No.
- Okay. - No.
[Laughing, Squealing]
Up, up.
Guys, come on. I have to write.
No.
[Sapphire] Come on, Penny. Join us.
[Door Closes]
[Sapphire] Take a vacation from yourself.
- Leave this up to professionals. - [Beth] Don't worry, William.
I've seen the future, and this all works out reasonably well.
- [Phone Ringing] - [William] Reasonably?
[Continues Ringing]
Hello.
Hello. This is Ben Fong-Torres calling from Rolling Stone.
- Hi, Ben Fong-Torres from Rolling Stone. - Hello, hello.
- You have such a sexy voice. - Hello, Ben.
William Miller, this is your editor at Rolling Stone.
- How's the story? - Uh, I'm getting good stuff out here.
- Yeah, it sounds like it. - Man, I need some...
[Phone Clangs]
Now, listen. Get it together, man.
We're both professionals here. I don't need to tell you this.
You're not out there to join the party. We already have one Hunter Thompson.
You're out there to interview and to report. You got me?
Now this isn't Creem magazine. This is Rolling Stone.
We need this story in four days. Now, I want to know how it's shaping up.
Uh.
It's a think piece about a mid-level band...
struggling with their own limitations in the harsh face of stardom.
That's great.
I like what we're saying.
Let me try and get you a thousand more words.
Now, it's in consideration for the cover, but don't tell the band.
The cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Crazy.
- Crazy. - [Line Clicks]
- Some coffee. - Me too.
Greenville is so boring.
You know, any other city in the world, and you'd still be a virgin.
- Oh, God. Oh, God. - What?
I've never written anything more than a few pages in my whole life.
Don't worry, baby. You will.
I gotta find Russell. I gotta find Russell.
Will you take the laundry?
"Take the laundry"?
What am I to you? Huh? Tell me. Tell me right now.
What am I to you?
Excuse me, sir. Would you mind signing for this?
Good morning.
- Please go the fuck away! - [Penny] Shh. Shh.
[Giggling]
Hey, man, we'll, uh, do the interview in Cleveland.
No. No, no, no. I can't go to Cleveland.
Come on, man. We'll have more time there.
Don't be tense.
- Come to Cleveland. - Come to Cleveland.
- Come to Cleveland. Come to Cleveland. - Come to Cleveland.
- Come... - I can't go to Cleveland.
Hey, can we help it if we like having you around?
- Come to Cleveland. - Come to Cleveland.
- I don't wanna go to Cleveland!
Okay? I want to go home.
[Russell] That's good, man. I like it when you yell.
But I'm not gonna let you miss out on the rock mecca of the Midwest.
- [Penny Whispers] Rock mecca. - Hey, you're with us.
Rock 'n' roll?
- [Penny] Rock... - And roll.
- It's all... - I know. I know.
It's all happening.
I 'm waiting for the man
- How ya doin'? - Hi.
Oh, my God! It's Stillwater!
Hi, welcome to Swingo's Celebrity Inn. You must be Stillwater.
"Memory of a Free Festival," "Wild-Eyed Boy of Freecloud."
I mean, those are vintage Bowie, you know?
I mean, the new stuff, Ziggy Stardust is good, but it's...
It's mass media, you know? It's hamburgers for the apocalypse.
[Shouting]
It's Bowie! Bowie! Bowie!
[Trilling] Ai-yi-yi!
Here he comes He's all dressed in black
P.R. shoes and a big straw hat
Okay. All right. That's doubles.
Jeff and Russell are the figureheads of the band...
but I think the true Stillwater fan, your absolute Stillwater fan...
knows that the purity, the essence, the core of Stillwater's music...
comes from "Silent" Ed Vallencourt.
[William] Hi, Mom. I'm gonna fly back Monday morning.
No, no, no, no. I'll only miss one test.
I'll be back for graduation.
[Russell] Tell her you're a slave to the groove.
Um, lis... No. Russell.
No. Russell, Russell, Russell.
Hey, Mom, it's Russell Hammond. I play guitar in Stillwater.
Hey, how does it feel to be the mother of the greatest rock journalist we've met?
[Penny Hoots]
Hello?
Look, you've got a great kid.
There's nothing to worry about. We're taking good care of him.
- You should come to the show sometime. Join the circus. - Listen to me, mister.
Your charm doesn't work on me. I'm onto you.
Of course you like him.
Well, yeah.
He worships you people. And that's fine by you as long as he helps make you rich.
- Rich? I don't think so. - Listen to me.
He's a smart, good-hearted, 15-year-old kid with infinite potential.
This is not some apron-wearing mother you're speaking to.
I know all about your Valhalla of decadence, and I shouldn't have let him go.
He's not ready for your world of compromised values and diminished brain cells...
that you throw away like confetti.
- Am I speaking to you clearly? - Y-Yes, ma'am.
If you break his spirit, harm him in any way, keep him from his chosen profession...
which is law, something you may not value, but I do...
you will meet the voice at the other end of this telephone, and it will not be pretty.
Do we understand each other?
Uh, yes, ma'am.
I didn't ask for this role, but I'll play it.
Now go do your best.
"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Goethe said that.
It's not too late for you to become a person of substance, Russell.
Please get my son home safely.
You know, I'm glad we spoke.
[Line Clicks]
Song and bong it sounds like lots of fun
Won't you get on my back for a piggyback ride
Get on my back for a piggyback ride
- All right, boys. - All right.
Your mom kind of freaked me out.
She means well.
[Dick On P.A.] From Troy, Michigan...
would you please welcome to Cleveland...
Stillwater!
[Applause, Cheering]
Oh, Father, Father
Tell me your story
Tell me what to do
Oh, Doctor, Doctor
[Woman] Russell.
Is there a cure
For the young man's broken blues
And he said
Love
Everybody knows
[Different Song, Lyrics Indistinct]
Yeah, you had to be there
Girl, you had to be there
[Cheering]
So, Russell, when you play a great show like tonight...
Okay, I need everyone's attention, please.
Girls, I need five minutes with the band alone.
Well, it seems the rumors are true.
The record company has sent a big-time manager here to try and talk you into replacing me.
His name is Dennis Hope. I know you've all heard of him.
He's got all the big bands. He's outside right now, and he wants five minutes with you.
And I think we've gotta do this.
- Well, send him in. - Yeah, bring him in. We'll send him out on a rail.
Hey, we'll just finish the interview in Maryland. You can fly home from Maryland.
- Hi. - Hi. - Hi.
Hey, we've already got a manager, man. He's been with us from the beginning.
Respectfully. We all have our roots.
I believe in bands holding on to their roots. But those roots need to be augmented.
I'm gonna tell you the truth.
I may enrage some and enthrall others.
I don't really give a fuck.
Your manager here needs a manager.
Example: If you hadn't run out on your contract in Phoenix...
we could have sued over Russell's hand.
But you left, negating the contract, forfeiting the deposit.
You effectively traveled a long way to pay that promoter to electrocute you.
Your damages have put you way in the hole for this tour.
Right now you owe the record company more than you've got.
But your record's selling. There's money to be made.
So I brought a plane in. We add more shows to make up the difference, respectfully.
- We travel by bus. - Doris is the soul of this band.
That bus has been our home since we were the Jeff Bebe Band. No way.
I'd travel on a pogo stick if I thought we could make more money.
You could play more dates with a plane.
Well, it's not about money. It's about playing music and turning people on.
Clearly. Respectfully.
But on the distasteful subject of money...
just know that you're all making it right now.
And it's all out there.
I'm just talking about bringing it back here.
Why should we pay you for something we can do ourselves?
Do you know how to keep from getting charged for the ice...
below the floorboards at Chicago Stadium?
Do you know how to do a headlining tour?
Do you know Claire Rothman at the L.A. Forum?
Do you know Bobby Cowan, Danny Marcus, Lisa Robinson?
Do you know Frank Barcelona? This is Cleveland!
Where's Kid Leo? Where is he?
Do you know how to get a record not pressed, but played?
I didn't invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella.
And as much as you may believe that this is gonna last forever, it does not.
Your biggest fan right now... your biggest fan...
soon they're gonna want to go to college, gonna want to buy some clothes...
spend that money some other way.
And you know what?
They'll tape your record from a friend's copy.
You gotta take what you can...
when you can, while you can, and you gotta do it now.
That's what the big boys do.
If you think Mick Jagger will still be out there...
trying to be a rock star at age 50...
you're sadly, sadly mistaken.
Yes, well, uh, thank you, Dennis.
We'll, uh, we'll think about what you said.
Oh, no, you... you... don't understand. I'll think about it.
I'm not auditioning.
I came here to decide whether I want to represent you.
So I'll stand outside for a moment and...
think about whether I want to stay.
It was a good show.
I miss him already.
[Lester] You're coming along at a very dangerous time for rock 'n ‘roll.
The war is over. They won. And they will ruin rock 'n ‘roll...
and strangle everything we love about it.
I listen to the wind to the wind of my soul
Where I'll end up Well, I think only God really knows
I 've sat upon the setting sun
But never, never, never, never
I never wanted water once
No, never, never, never
I listen to my words but they fall far below
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go
[Rock]
- Put them up. - All right, money...
- I don't know what that was. - It was a donkey dick, man!
- [Russell] Money down. - No matter where you come from, a donkey dick is funny.
- Hey. Is Russell Hammond here? - Can I help you?
- [Russell] Hey, The Enemy. - [Dick] Come on in, son.
Hey, welcome to the road manager poker party.
The game has been going on for two years. Come on. Find a spot.
This is Mick, he's with The Who. Raymond, he's with The Eagles.
- Reg, he's with Humble Pie. I think you know Red Dog. - Hi, brother.
We've been developing this system of poker over the years...
so you can play it in any condition, which helps.
- We only let Russell in because he brought the hash. - [Dick] Easy, easy.
- The press is here. - Don't mention me or The Eagles.
Well, I'm done.
Uh, I'm out.
- I'm in. - All right, all right.
Side proposition to the winner...
for 50 bucks and a case of Heineken...
I'll throw into the pot three lovely ladies...
including Miss Penny Lane of the famous Band Aids...
who have to leave the tour before New York.
- Russ, is that okay with you? - Russ is getting soft on us.
- Is that okay? - Okay.
It's a deal. Show 'em.
Three lovely ladies in the custody of Humble Pie. Be good to them, Reg.
All right, so we owe you $50 and a case of Heineken. All right.
Joint? And you know how I know this is good stuff?
- How's that? - This is from Crosby.
- Is that Crosby weed? - Who's in?
- I'm in. - I'm in.
Look, nobody's feelings are getting hurt here.
She already knows that Leslie's coming to New York tomorrow.
Everybody understands.
This is the circus. Everybody's trying not to go home.
Nobody's saying good-bye.
Quit looking at me like that.
[Man] Larry Fellows, get down
[Shouting]
Ohhh
Happy, happy birthday Happy, happy birthday
to you
- [Whooping] - Happy, happy, happy, happy birthday
- I'm making a wish. - Happy, happy, happy happy birthday
[Man Shouting, Indistinct]
[Cheering, Whooping]
"So... Penny, our friend, has gained another year...
"but long ago she threw it in gear.
"She rocked the South, the East, the West.
"Could we get off this endless tour...
where we're Black Sabbath's fucking special guest?"
[Jeff] Yeah!
"She says she's retired...
"but we've heard that before.
"She chose us. In Penny Lane we trust.
"She is a fan of this band...
- much more so than us." - Yeah!
[Shouting, Whooping]
- Cut the cake - Let's go!
- Cut the cake - Who wants it?
Yeah, I said now cut the cake
- Cut the cake - Cut, cut, cut, cut
Cut the cake
Thank you, baby. Aww.
[Laughing]
[Penny] Who wants the "P" in Penny?
- Happy birthday. - Oh, thank you.
- I'm sorry the plane isn't bigger. - Oh.
[Man] I'll take a piece.
Who didn't get cake?
Any extra plates? Anybody?
[Penny] You think you can fool me.
I can read you. I know what you're thinking.
What's that?
You're worried about me and Russell.
Yeah, I gotta work on that.
You're so sweet.
God, if there was more of you in him...
Don't tell me this stuff. I want to like him.
Did you miss a test or something?
[Chuckles] You have no idea.
I know I'm not on the plane. And I'm not going on some other band's bus.
I could go with the road crew, but that would be pathetic...
and the girls are all going with Humble Pie.
So if you could find out from Russell...
- Penny. - Forget it. I'm flying to New York myself.
I've got a bunch of partial tickets.
I know his ex-wife/ current girlfriend thing...
- I'm not sure that's a good idea. - What are you saying? Did Russell say something?
No. No, I don't know anything.
Well, I know he wants me there.
Wake up!
Don't go to New York!
- Why are you yelling at me? - I thought we were going to Morocco.
There is no Morocco. There's never been a Morocco.
There's not even a Penny Lane.
I don't even know your real name.
If I ever met a man in the real world...
who looked at me the way you just looked at me...
When and where does this "real world" occur?
I mean, I'm really confused here.
All these rules and all these sayings and nicknames...
Honey, you're too sweet for rock 'n' roll.
Sweet?
Where do you get off? Where do you get "sweet"?
I am dark and mysterious and pissed off!
And I could be very dangerous to all of you.
I am not sweet.
And you should know that about me.
I am The Enemy!
Look, you should be happy for me.
You don't know what he says to me in private.
Maybe it is love, as much as it can be for somebody...
Who sold you to Humble Pie for 50 bucks and a case of beer?
I was there. I was there.
Oh, God.
I'm sorry.
What kind of beer?
[Dennis] Welcome to New York. It's okay to be nervous.
You should be nervous. All you can do is be yourself and leave a pint of blood on that stage.
Hey, William. We showed you America. Did everything but get you laid.
Walking in the park just the other day, baby
- What do you think I saw - [Slaps William's Leg]
[Jeff] Oh. [Laughs]
No. Yeah?
Lots of people sitting on the grass
With flowers in their hair said
Hey, boy do you want to score
And you know how it is
I really don't know
[People Clamoring]
[Chattering]
- Maybe I can get an autograph? - Who should I make it out to?
- She's here. - Make it out to Lenny.
- Russell, can I have your autograph? - Yeah.
Leslie!
- How ya doin'? - Jeffrey.
[Dick] Room's fully stocked. Air conditioning's on.
- By the way, you look stunning. - Thanks. See you later.
All right, bags in five. Cars leave for the party at 6:00.
Oh, God.
There are lighter souvenirs, you know.
Well, I kept thinking I was gonna go home the next day.
Yeah. So did I, 15 years ago.
[Dick] Oi! That's the wrong bag, you idiot!
- William? - Vic.
It's, uh... It's all happening.
They're here. Zeppelin are here.
They are here. They're at The Plaza.
Sapphire and, uh, and Miss Penny Lane are, uh, are there too.
They're all staying under the name Emily Rugburn.
- Wait. Penny Lane is here? - Emily Rugburn.
William Miller? Sir, you have an urgent call.
- Hello. - Hello.
This is Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone.
Congratulations, it's gonna be a cover.
Annie Leibovitz will shoot them next week in L. A...
but we are gonna need you back in San Francisco tomorrow.
You can finish the story here, okay? Talk to Ben.
You can tell the band.
Alison, our fact checker, needs you to transmit whatever you have of the story tonight.
There's a mojo at the Daily News they'll let us use.
- A mojo? - A mojo. It's a very modern machine...
that transmits pages over the telephone.
It only takes 18 minutes a page.
[Man] As soon as a couple leave, I can fit you right in.
Right now it's... Excuse me. You got an I.D.?
- No, thanks. I'm fine. - No, no, no, no.
- Hey, man. He's cool, he's cool. - Hey, Dennis, how ya doin'?
- Everything's great. - Good. Your guys are all inside.
- Opie. - Hey.
I'm going to England with Deep Purple, and we leave in an hour.
Don't forget me, okay?
It's all happening, but I must "vamoosh."
Hey, The Enemy.
Hey, we got a table. Come on. They're all looking for you.
Guys.
Guys!
You're gonna be on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Are you serious? The cover of Rolling Stone.
And we made it together.
And they don't just put somebody with one little hit...
on the cover of Rolling Stone fucking magazine, man.
Damn it, I'm gonna enjoy this.
When I first bought the magazine, the Beatles were on the cover.
The Beatles. Four of them, four of us.
We take all kind of pills that give us all kind of thrills
But the thrill we never known
- Yee-ha! - Was the thrill that'll get you
When you get your picture on the cover of Rolling Stone
- Rolling Stone - Wanna see my picture on the cover
- Rolling Stone - Gonna buy five copies for my mother
- Rolling Stone - Wanna see my smiling face
On the cover of the Rolling Stone
- [All Cheering] - [Jeff] Thank you.
Who is that girl? She's creeping me out.
She's not with any of you guys, is she?
[All Together] Yeah, she's with me.
Until you've seen this trash can dream come true
You stand at the edge while people run...
So, uh, who's gonna shoot it?
I thank the Lord there's people out there like you
While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sons of bankers sons of lawyers
Turn around and say good morning to the night
For unless they see the sky
But they can't and that is why
They know not if it's dark outside or light
I thought I knew
But now I know that rose trees never grow
In New York City
And I thank the Lord
For the people I have found
I thank the Lord for the people I have found
While Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sons of bankers sons of lawyers
Turn around and say good morning to the night
For unless they see the sky
But they can't and that is why
I am no good at good-byes.
And you are the last...
of my old-time friends.
Polexia... Polexia went to England with Deep Purple.
Can you believe that?
Even Sapphire went someplace else.
And all she left was her quaaludes.
- [Groans] - Oh, wonderful.
Where's Beth?
Where's my friends? Where are all my friends?
Front desk? Could you please send a doctor?
- [Thuds] - Room 537.
- Penny, get up. - I'm up.
Uh, my wife's had an accident with some quaaludes.
- So tired. - You gotta get up, Penny.
- Penny, get up. Get up. - So... You know that.
You know that I'm retired. I've always been.
I'm retired and I'm tired.
- [Applause] - [Woman]Jane Abbot.
[Man] Miss Jane Abbot.
[Man] Miss Judy Stanton.
Congratulations. Congratulations.
- Raymond Sanchez. - Mr. Raymond Sanchez.
- As time goes on - [William] Seats and tray tables.
- Seat backs and tray tables locked. - And our pending graduate...
William Miller, not present.
- [Scattered Applause] - All right. Yeah, yeah.
And now
- Now that you're near - Why doesn't he love me?
Promise your love
That I've waited to share
[Graduation Speaker] And to the class of 1973 we say...
don't forget to remember yourselves as you are today...
full of hope and the dream that everything is possible.
And remember this 20 years from now, when we all own...
home computers and we all travel...
in shiny electrical cars that move swiftly, high above our city...
that the key to the future...
is keeping today alive forever!
- [Cheering] - Forever! Forever!
[William] Penny, no. Wake up!
- Wake up! - I'm up.
Well, now that I have your attention...
uh, I know you've heard this before...
and I've never said this to anybody.
Well, nobody who didn't legally have to say it back to me...
but, uh...
Oh, God. Why am I so nervous? You'll never remember this.
I love you.
And I'm about to boldly go where...
many men have gone before.
- What've we got here? What's her name? - Emily.
Okay, sweetheart. Sit up, sit up, sit up. Good girl, good girl.
- What did you take, sweetheart? What did you take? - I'll get her legs.
- What did you take? - I don't know.
Yes, you do. Tell us what you took.
Emily, we're gonna have to pump your stomach, okay?
- Emily, wake up. - I got the tubes. There we go. Water.
All right. Now, you're gonna have to swallow this tube.
- Open, open, open. - [Gagging]
- Don't fight us. We're trying to help you. - Emily, Emily.
- Relax. - Come on. Swallow, swallow.
I know, I know. Swallow this now. No, don't bite on it. Swallow.
Emily, Emily. Come on. Swallow.
- Very good. That's it. There we go. All done. - Got it.
Very good.
Now we gotta... come on... feed some liquid into your stomach.
My cherie amour
Lovely as a summer day
My cherie amour
Distant as the Milky Way
My cherie amour
Pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
[William] You've never done half the things you said you did.
It was in the middle of "Midnight Rambler,"
and Keith Richards saw me...
came to the front of the stage, and he pulled me out.
And they took me backstage...
and gave me a Coke with ice and a lemon.
And I never went home.
I've done twice the things I said I did.
What about your mom?
She always said, " Marry up. Marry someone grand."
And that's why she named me Lady.
She named you "Lady"?
Lady Goodman.
That's great.
Now you know all my secrets.
You've got me.
See you back in the real world.
Thank you, William Miller.
Hey, Lady!
[Woman] Ladies and gentlemen...
welcome to Eastern Airlines' nonstop service to San Diego.
In preparation for our departure today...
we'd like to ask please that you extinguish all flammable items...
and do return all seats and tray tables to their full...
... make sure that your seat belts are securely fastened...
and do make note of the emergency exits...
Hey, why didn't you come back last night? Bob Dylan showed up.
He was sitting at our table for an hour or something, right, Dick?
Just rapping, Bob Dylan at our fucking table. I was looking for you.
- I was gonna introduce you. - What happened to you last night?
It's a long story.
[Thunderclap]
[Chuckling] Peggy Sue, Peggy Sue
Pretty, pretty, pretty pretty Peggy Sue
[Man On P.A.] Hi, this is Craig, your pilot.
- It appears we've caught the edge of that electrical storm. - Oh, my God.
- Electrical storm? - Buckle up tight. We're gonna get you out of this.
- Rock 'n' roll. - [Jeff] We shouldn't be here.
- [Thunderclap] - Whoa, baby!
[Russell Whooping] Doris, we miss you!
Listen, we're gonna try and land in Tupelo.
- We found a field to land in. - A field?
It's gonna be kind of a rough set down, but we should be fine.
Just hang in there, and we'll get you out of this.
[Thunderclap]
- Everyone says, "It's so glamorous out here." - He just told us we're gonna die.
- [Buzzers Blaring] - I'm trying to maintain, but the fucking thing won't...
- [Thunderclap] - Oh, my God.
[Engines Straining]
If something should happen...
maybe I never said this enough:
I love all of you.
[Engines Whining]
[Thunderclap]
I once hit a man in Dearborn, Michigan. A hit-and-run.
I hit him and just kept on going.
I don't know if he's alive or dead, but I'm sorry.
- Not a day goes by that I don't see his face. - [Leslie] Oh, my God!
Look, I love you all too. You're like family to me. Especially since Marna left me.
And if I took an extra dollar or two here and there, it's because I knew I earned it.
Yeah. I slept with Marna, Dick.
I did too.
I waited until you broke up with her, Dick, but me too.
I also slept with Leslie when you were fighting.
You slept with Jeff?
Yeah, but it didn't count. It was the summer we decided to be free of all rules.
- And you say you love me! - I don't love you, man. I never did.
None of us love you.
- You act above us, you always have. - [Larry] Finally, the truth.
You just held it over us like you might leave, like we're lucky to be with you.
And we had to live with it, man.
I had to live with you, and now I might die with you...
- and it's not fucking fair! - Please, enough!
And I'm still in love with you, Leslie.
Oh, I don't want to hear any more! Shut up, Jeffrey!
- Jeffrey? - It's all happening.
Whatever happens, Bebe, you're dead!
Don't be self-righteous, Russell, not now, man.
You were sleeping with Penny, that fucking groupie!
Last summer up until yesterday. Why don't you tell Leslie that?
- Shut up! - I quit!
- [Russell] I'm gonna kill you! - [Dennis] I quit!
"That groupie"? She was a Band Aid.
All she did was love your band.
And you all used her, all of you. You used her and threw her away.
She almost died last night while you were with Bob Dylan!
You guys are always talking about the fans, the fans, the fans.
She was your biggest fan and you threw her away.
And if you can't see that, that's your biggest problem.
And I love her! I love her!
[Thunderclap]
- [Engines Whining] - Fuck it!
I'm... I'm gay!
Thank God above, we're alive!
We're alive! We're gonna make it!
Sweet relief!
Hallelujah, dear God!
Write what you want.
Just leave your package on the desk.
Oh, I'm not a messenger. I'm one of your writers.
William H. Miller.
[Whispering] He's just a kid!
Go right on in.
You're William Miller?
- Yep. - Oh, baby.
Didn't anything happen, I mean, after $600 in room service bills?
Didn't you get anything on tape with Russell Hammond?
Where are you in this piece? What did you want to write?
This reads like what they wanted you to write.
You obviously saw more than you wrote about.
I think we should push up Flippo's Who cover.
Good, 'cause it's gonna take me three days to get through this research.
It's all handwritten on little bits of paper!
- It's a puff-piece. - Plus, they refer to all the women as chicks.
- I have a problem with that. - You want them to like you. It happens.
Ben, you told me to send what I had.
It's not finished. Give me tonight to work on it.
[Lester] Oh, man. So you made friends with them?
See, friendship is the booze they feed you.
They want you to get drunk on feeling like you belong.
Well, it was fun.
Because they make you feel cool.
- And, hey, I met you. You are not cool. - I know.
Even when I thought I was, I knew I wasn't.
Because we are uncool.
Women will always be a problem for guys like us.
Most of the great art in the world is about that very problem.
Good-looking people, they got no spine.
Their art never lasts.
And they get the girls, but we're smarter.
Yeah, I can really see that now.
Because great art is about the guilt and longing...
and love disguised as sex and sex disguised as love.
Hey, let's face it, you got a big head start.
I'm glad you were home.
I'm always home. I'm uncool.
- Me too. - You're doing great, man.
The only true currency in this bankrupt world...
is what you share with someone else when you're uncool.
Listen, my advice to you...
and I know you think these guys are your friends...
if you want to be a true friend to them, be honest...
and unmerciful.
"I'm flying high over Tupelo, Mississippi, with America's hottest band...
- and we're all about to die." - Hmm.
- Dark, lively. - Yeah, and it gets better.
Did this all really happen?
Give it to me. I'll call and check the quotes.
Holy shit! I just got off the phone with Rolling Stone.
[Larry] They called me too. What's he using?
All, he's using it all. This, according to the "fact checker."
- So what? - "So what"?
We come off like amateurs...
some average band trying to come to grips with success...
jealous and fighting and breaking up.
We're buffoons!
"Rock 'n' roll can save the world"? "The chicks are great"?
I sound like a dick!
- [Muttering] You are a dick. - I never said that!
Maybe we don't see ourselves the way we really are.
Is it that hard to make us look cool?
This kid has you on acid screaming, "I'm a golden god," from a fan's rooftop.
They used him to fuck us. They'll probably just put you on the cover.
Wait. I never said, "I'm a golden god."
Or did I?
We never took him seriously. Now it's serious.
I liked him as a person.
He was never a person. He was a journalist!
You! You had the right idea all along!
- How about the plane flight? - [Dick] It's all there.
Don't worry. It's unspecific who says what.
No names are mentioned in the more embarrassing sequences.
- It's just completely obvious who's who, and we're fucked! - [Russell] I...
I told him he could write what he wanted.
Hey, they haven't talked to Russell yet.
You can always deny the key stuff to the fact checker.
- One phone call. Then they can't print it. - Is that true?
This is war, my friend.
If you'd have met me earlier, he would have never been around.
He'll live.
Let's identify the goals here.
T-shirts, foreign markets, renegotiating your contract, merchandising.
Happiness. Realizing your dreams.
Money. Cool.
Meeting the Beatles.
Let's put all of it in the pot.
It all depends on mystique.
Not giving too much away.
I'm going to L.A. tonight. Call me if you need me.
But before I go, let me give you a lesson in mystique.
You can only have one. Which one do you want?
Which one are you gonna choose?
As long as you can't see what's in this hand...
you'll always want it more.
It's phenomenal, William. It's sophisticated. It's intelligent.
We only had to cut out a couple of'graphs.
Jeff Bebe's mother sent over a shoe box of childhood photos.
It's gonna look fantastic.
The band just denied 90 percent of the story. It's a fabrication.
You weren't honest. And worse, you wasted our time.
D-Did you talk to Russell Hammond?
Russell Hammond is the one who denied it.
- Now, wait a second. - Denied it.
We're going with The Who. The manuscript's in my office.
He's just some fan. What do you expect?
Ben. Wait.
William?
You guys, this is my brother.
- Nice to finally meet you. - You have a good day.
You guys, I'll deadhead back later. I think I'm needed.
I'll see ya.
You look awful.
But it's great. You're living your life.
You're free of Mom.
Hey, I'll take off work.
Let's have an adventure together, you and me, finally.
Anywhere you wanna go. Anywhere in the world.
This is not my idea of a good time.
- Just get me to my bed. - I'll deal with her.
[Laughing]
I forgive you.
[Chuckles]
I didn't apologize.
[Laughing]
Oh.
- Sapphire. - Hey, boy.
- I hate good-byes. - Me too.
All right, so I didn't like you much.
Do we have to like each other?
I sorta thought so.
I think it would have worked against us. I really do.
You know what they say. All the great partnerships hated each other.
We didn't hate each other that much, did we?
No, maybe not. I could work on it, though.
[Chuckles]
I just can't picture you with Leslie.
I'm the you they get when they can't get you.
- Sorry. - Got it. It's cool.
- I'll get it, man. I'll see you later on. - All right, see ya.
All right.
Is Penny okay?
Oh, the quaaludes incident?
Well, it wasn't pretty. She could have died.
I always told her not to let too many guys fall in love with her.
I guess I was wrong. One of them ended up saving her life.
- William? - What do you care?
I mean, we all know what you did to him.
Everybody knows...
even Penny Lane.
[Sapphire] Something tells me 20 years from now...
we'll remember her... and not much else.
Hey, Russell. [Chuckling]
Can you believe these new girls?
None of them use birth control. And they eat all the steak.
I mean, they don't even know what it is to be a fan.
You know, to truly love some silly little piece of music or some band...
so much that it hurts.
[Line Ringing]
Hello, Penny? It's Russell. Don't hang up.
I can't really talk right now. I'm in a room full of people.
Actually, I'm alone.
And I won't call again. I promise.
But I need to see you face-to-face...
because I'm never as good as when you're there...
and I can see myself the way you look at me.
And I'm sorry. Maybe if we could just get together, find some time to talk.
Let's say all the things we never said.
Give me your address.
I'm coming to you... this time.
Got a pen?
[Muttering] Hello, Penny. Hello, Penny.
Hello, hello, Penny.
[Doorbell Rings]
I'm... I'm Russell Hammond.
So this is the famous Russell Hammond.
Come in.
Uh, is she home?
Who? Anita?
- Where am I? - Hello?
Hi.
You know, when we spoke, I felt that we connected.
Psst.
Oh, man.
My son is very important to me too.
And I do think you owe him an apology.
I appreciate you showing up.
No, no. I agree, ma'am.
There's hope for you yet, Russell.
Well.
Uh, hi.
So, this is...
where The Enemy sleeps.
You know, I think we both wanted to be with her.
I guess she wanted us to be together.
You should give her a call.
You both live in the same city.
- You really think I should? - Yeah.
That girl really cares about you.
Man, I never even knew her real name.
Oh, I called your magazine...
and told them the truth.
I don't know what they're gonna do with it...
but I told them every word you wrote was true.
We are gonna do this one more time.
- [Switch Clicks] - So, Russell...
what do you love about music?
To begin with...
everything.
Tangerine, tangerine
- Tickets, tickets, tickets. - How much?
I was her love
She was my queen
And now a thousand years between
Morocco. A seat by the window, please.
[No Audible Dialogue]
Tangerine, tangerine
Living reflection from a dream
I was her love
She was my queen
And now a thousand years between
Unfolding enveloping missiles of soul
Recall senses sadly
Mirage like soft blue like lanterns below
To light the way gladly
Whether whistling heaven's clouds disappear
Where the wind withers memory
Whether whiteness whisks soft shadows away
- White hot glistening shadowy flows - Feel flows
- Black hot glistening shadowy goes - Feel flows
Unbending never-ending tablets of time
Record all the yearning
Unfearing all-appearing message divine
Eases the burning
Whether willing witness waits at my mind
Whether hope dampens memory
Whether wondrous will stands tall at my side
- White hot glistening shadowy flows - Feel flows
- Black hot glistening shadowy flows - Feel goes
[Instrumental]
Encasing all-embracing wreath of repose
Engulfs all the senses
Imposing unclosing thoughts that compose
Retire the fences
Whether wholly heartened life fades away
Whether hearts heal the memory
Whether wholly heartened life fades away
Whether wondrous will stands tall at my side
Whether whiteness whisks soft shadows away
- White hot glistening shadowy flows - Feel goes
- Black hot glistening shadowy goes - Feel flows
- White hot glistening shadowy flows - Feel glows
- Black hot glistening shadowy flows - Feelings to grow
White hot glistening shadowy flows
[Phonograph Needle Lifting Off Record]
[Record Changer Stops]