Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) EN

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1
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[crickets chirping]

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[birds hooting]

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[running footsteps]

4
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[panting]

5
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[dogs barking]

6
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[distant singing]

7
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[panting heavily]

8
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- [people speaking indistinctly]
- [laughs]

9
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[singing continues]

10
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âª My bell rang this morning âª

11
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âª Didn't know which way to go âª

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[crowd cheering]

13
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âª My bell rang this morning âª

14
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âª Didn't know which way to go âª

15
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- [woman] Yeah, Ma!
- [crowd cheering]

16
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[man] Yeah, baby!

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âª I had the blues so bad âª

18
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âª I sat down on my floor âª

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[loud cheering]

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âª Daddy, Daddy âª

21
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âª Please come home to me âª

22
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[cheering]

23
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[crowd clapping in rhythm]

24
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âª Daddy, Daddy âª

25
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âª Please come home to me âª

26
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[cheering]

27
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âª I'm on my way âª

28
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âª Crazy as I can be âª

29
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[crowd cheering]

30
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âª Ooohâ¦ âª

31
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âª Hmmâ¦ âª

32
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âª Hmmâ¦ âª

33
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[Ma Rainey vocalizing]

34
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[crowd cheering]

35
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âª Ah! âª

36
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âª Daddy, Daddy âª

37
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âª Please come home to me âª

38
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[loud cheering]

39
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âª Daddy, Daddy âª

40
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âª Please come home to me âª

41
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âª I'm on my way âª

42
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âª Crazy as I can be âª

43
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âª Hey âª

44
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âª Hey, Daddy âª

45
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âª Please come home to me âª

46
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âª Hey âª

47
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âª Oh, yeah! âª

48
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âª I'm on my way âª

49
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âª Crazy as I can be âª

50
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[crowd cheering loudly]

51
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[rumbling]

52
00:04:18,750 --> 00:04:19,833
[hammering]

53
00:04:33,750 --> 00:04:35,083
[horn honking]

54
00:04:40,916 --> 00:04:42,541
[upbeat jazz music playing]

55
00:04:53,166 --> 00:04:54,416
[horns honking]

56
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[mechanical whirring]

57
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Testing, testing, one, two, three.

58
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Testing, one, two, three.

59
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- Testing, testing, one, two...
- Got that list?

60
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Uh, I got it. Don't worry about it.

61
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I'm holding you responsible.
You keep her in line.

62
00:05:11,666 --> 00:05:14,791
I'm not putting up with any shenanigans.
You hear, Irv? Irv?

63
00:05:14,875 --> 00:05:16,500
[lively piano music playing]

64
00:05:16,583 --> 00:05:17,583
Irv?

65
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Irv!

66
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Not putting up with any Royal Highness,
Queen of the Blues bullshit.

67
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Mother of the Blues, Mel.
Mother of the Blues.

68
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[upbeat jazz music playing]

69
00:05:48,416 --> 00:05:51,166
Heh. You should've heard Levee
at the club last night, Toledo.

70
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Trying to talk
to that gal Ma had with her.

71
00:05:53,125 --> 00:05:56,000
You ain't got to tell me.
I know how Levee do.

72
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Levee tried talking to her
and got his feelings hurt.

73
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I want you to get her in here,

74
00:06:00,750 --> 00:06:02,833
record those songs
on that list, and get her out.

75
00:06:02,916 --> 00:06:03,832
- Just like clockwork.
- [doorbell buzzes]

76
00:06:03,833 --> 00:06:05,458
Like clockwork, Mel.

77
00:06:05,541 --> 00:06:08,291
And that horn player,
the one who gave me those songs,

78
00:06:08,375 --> 00:06:09,833
is he going to be here today?

79
00:06:09,916 --> 00:06:12,583
- I want to hear more of that sound.
- How you boys doing, Cutler?

80
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[Cutler] Fine, Mr. Irvin.

81
00:06:14,333 --> 00:06:15,708
Where's Ma? She with ya?

82
00:06:15,791 --> 00:06:16,833
I don't know.

83
00:06:16,916 --> 00:06:18,876
She told us to be here at 1:00.
That's all I know.

84
00:06:19,750 --> 00:06:21,208
Where's the, uh, horn player?

85
00:06:21,291 --> 00:06:24,583
Levee's supposed to be here same as we is.
I reckon he'll be here in a minute.

86
00:06:24,666 --> 00:06:26,458
[upbeat jazz music playing]

87
00:06:30,583 --> 00:06:31,708
[horn honking]

88
00:06:37,125 --> 00:06:39,916
Hey, hey, hey. Good morning, Chicago.

89
00:06:40,625 --> 00:06:42,945
- [both chuckling]
- [woman] He ain't from 'round here now.

90
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[tires screech, horn honks]

91
00:06:56,125 --> 00:06:59,083
Come on in. I'll get you fed
and ready to make some music.

92
00:06:59,166 --> 00:07:00,124
[Cutler] Right.

93
00:07:00,125 --> 00:07:01,250
Right down the hall.

94
00:07:02,208 --> 00:07:03,968
Where's Ma?
How come she isn't with the band?

95
00:07:04,041 --> 00:07:07,500
Everything's under control, Mel.
I got everything under control.

96
00:07:08,083 --> 00:07:10,625
Cutler, here's the list
of songs we're going to record.

97
00:07:12,333 --> 00:07:13,791
[chuckles]

98
00:07:14,458 --> 00:07:17,166
[Mel] Why isn't she here?
And where's that horn player?

99
00:07:28,708 --> 00:07:30,458
What we got there, Toledo?

100
00:07:30,541 --> 00:07:31,791
Eh, we got, uhâ¦

101
00:07:35,416 --> 00:07:38,166
Mmm. "Prove It on Me,"
"Hear Me Talking to You,"

102
00:07:38,250 --> 00:07:40,583
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,"
"Moonshine Blues."

103
00:07:40,666 --> 00:07:42,500
Oh. Them ain't the songs Ma told me.

104
00:07:42,583 --> 00:07:45,541
I wouldn't worry about it if I was you.
Ma'll get it straightened out.

105
00:07:45,625 --> 00:07:46,833
[Cutler] "Moonshine Blues."

106
00:07:46,916 --> 00:07:49,708
That's one of them songs
Bessie Smith sang, I believes.

107
00:07:49,791 --> 00:07:51,750
Eh, Slow Drag's right.
I wouldn't worry about it.

108
00:07:51,833 --> 00:07:54,083
Levee know what time
he's supposed to be here?

109
00:07:54,166 --> 00:07:56,708
Levee left the hotel
talking about he was gonna buy shoes.

110
00:07:56,791 --> 00:07:58,831
Says it's the first time
he beat you shooting craps.

111
00:07:58,875 --> 00:07:59,790
[all laughing]

112
00:07:59,791 --> 00:08:02,625
- I ain't thinking about no four dollars.
- [Slow Drag] Levee sure was.

113
00:08:02,708 --> 00:08:03,832
[Toledo] Let me get a hit of that.

114
00:08:03,833 --> 00:08:05,374
[Slow Drag] That four dollars
liked to burn a hole in his pocket.

115
00:08:05,375 --> 00:08:06,875
He's supposed to be here at 1:00.

116
00:08:07,458 --> 00:08:10,458
- That's some good Chicago bourbon.
- [Levee] Look here, Cutler!

117
00:08:11,125 --> 00:08:14,166
- [in sing-song] I got me some shoes.
- [Slow Drag] Ooh!

118
00:08:14,250 --> 00:08:16,541
Nigga, I ain't studying you.

119
00:08:16,625 --> 00:08:19,041
[Toledo] How much you pay
for something like that, Levee?

120
00:08:19,125 --> 00:08:21,666
Eleven dollars.
Four dollars of it belong to Cutler.

121
00:08:21,750 --> 00:08:24,791
Ooh! Levee say if it wasn't for Cutler,
he wouldn't have no new shoes.

122
00:08:24,875 --> 00:08:26,666
I ain't thinking about Levee or his shoes.

123
00:08:26,750 --> 00:08:29,291
- [laughing]
- [Cutler] Let's get ready to rehearse.

124
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[Slow Drag] I'm with you on that score.
Don't want to be here all night.

125
00:08:32,458 --> 00:08:34,138
[Toledo] Ain't but four songs on the list.

126
00:08:34,208 --> 00:08:35,750
Last time there was six songs.

127
00:08:35,833 --> 00:08:38,875
Yeah. Now I'm ready.

128
00:08:41,041 --> 00:08:43,125
I can play some good music now.

129
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[upright bass playing]

130
00:08:45,833 --> 00:08:48,750
Damn! They done changed things around.

131
00:08:48,833 --> 00:08:50,666
Don't never leave well enough alone.

132
00:08:50,750 --> 00:08:55,125
Yeah, everything changing all the time.
Even the air you breathing change.

133
00:08:55,208 --> 00:08:59,916
Yeah, you got, uh, monoxide,
hydrogen, changing all the time.

134
00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,250
Skin changing.
Different molecules. Everything.

135
00:09:03,333 --> 00:09:05,000
Nigga, what is you talking about?

136
00:09:05,083 --> 00:09:08,000
I'm talking about the room,
I ain't talking about no skin and air.

137
00:09:08,083 --> 00:09:11,250
I'm talking about something I can see.
I ain't talking about no molecules.

138
00:09:11,333 --> 00:09:13,957
I know what you talking about.
You don't know what I'm talking about.

139
00:09:13,958 --> 00:09:17,625
That door. You see that door?
That's what I'm talking about.

140
00:09:17,708 --> 00:09:19,000
Door wasn't there before.

141
00:09:19,083 --> 00:09:23,125
You wouldn't know your right from left.
And damn if that door wasn't there.

142
00:09:23,208 --> 00:09:25,374
If you talking about
they done switched rooms, you right.

143
00:09:25,375 --> 00:09:27,040
But don't go telling me
that door wasn't there.

144
00:09:27,041 --> 00:09:29,361
Damn the door and let's do this.
I want to get out of here.

145
00:09:29,375 --> 00:09:32,458
Toledo started all that about the door.
I'm just saying that things change.

146
00:09:32,541 --> 00:09:35,958
What you think I was saying?
Things change. The air and everything.

147
00:09:36,041 --> 00:09:38,250
Now you gonna say you was saying it.

148
00:09:38,333 --> 00:09:40,791
You gonna fit
two propositions on the same track,

149
00:09:40,875 --> 00:09:43,083
run them into each other,
and 'cause they crash,

150
00:09:43,166 --> 00:09:44,875
you gonna say it's the same train?

151
00:09:44,958 --> 00:09:47,625
- Now this nigga talking about trains.
- [Cutler laughs]

152
00:09:47,708 --> 00:09:52,541
We done went from the air
to the skin to the door and now trains.

153
00:09:52,625 --> 00:09:56,208
Toledo, I'd just like to be
inside your head for five minutes

154
00:09:56,291 --> 00:09:57,625
just to see how you think.

155
00:09:57,708 --> 00:10:00,375
You done got more shit
piled up and mixed up in there

156
00:10:00,458 --> 00:10:01,915
- than the devil got sinners.
- [laughing]

157
00:10:01,916 --> 00:10:03,750
You been reading too many goddamn books.

158
00:10:03,833 --> 00:10:05,791
What you care about how much I read?

159
00:10:06,833 --> 00:10:08,540
I'm gonna ignore you
'cause you're ignorant.

160
00:10:08,541 --> 00:10:10,541
- Let's rehearse the music.
- All right.

161
00:10:10,625 --> 00:10:12,250
You ain't gotta rehearse that.

162
00:10:12,333 --> 00:10:14,208
Ain't nothing but old jug-band music.

163
00:10:14,291 --> 00:10:15,931
They need one of them jug bands for this.

164
00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,040
Don't make no difference to me,
long as we get paid.

165
00:10:18,083 --> 00:10:20,500
That ain't what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about art.

166
00:10:20,583 --> 00:10:22,916
What's drawing got to do with it?

167
00:10:23,541 --> 00:10:25,458
Where you get this nigga from, Cutler?

168
00:10:25,541 --> 00:10:27,666
He sound like one of them Alabama niggas.

169
00:10:27,750 --> 00:10:29,750
It's Slow Drag, all right.

170
00:10:29,833 --> 00:10:31,208
Just play the piece, nigga.

171
00:10:31,291 --> 00:10:34,416
If you want to be one of them, uh,
what you call virtuosos or something,

172
00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:36,125
you're in the wrong place.

173
00:10:36,208 --> 00:10:39,000
You ain't no King Oliver or Buddy Bolden.

174
00:10:39,083 --> 00:10:41,916
You're just an old trumpet player
come a dime a dozen.

175
00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:43,000
Talking about art.

176
00:10:43,041 --> 00:10:45,625
What is you?
I don't see your name in lights.

177
00:10:45,708 --> 00:10:49,000
I just play the piece. Whatever they want.
I don't criticize other people's music.

178
00:10:49,583 --> 00:10:51,833
I ain't like you, Cutler. I got talent.

179
00:10:51,916 --> 00:10:53,125
- Oh, shit.
- Ooh.

180
00:10:53,208 --> 00:10:55,625
Me and this horn, we's tight.

181
00:10:55,708 --> 00:10:57,916
If my daddy had a knowed
I was gonna turn out like this,

182
00:10:58,000 --> 00:10:59,375
he woulda named me Gabriel.

183
00:10:59,458 --> 00:11:00,583
[all] Oh!

184
00:11:00,666 --> 00:11:02,833
I'm gonna get me a band
and make me some records.

185
00:11:03,666 --> 00:11:05,750
I done give Mr. Sturdyvant
some of my songs I wrote,

186
00:11:05,833 --> 00:11:07,999
and he say he gonna let me
record them when I get my band together.

187
00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:10,333
I just gotta finish
the last part of this song.

188
00:11:10,416 --> 00:11:13,833
I knows how to play real music,
not this old jug-band shit.

189
00:11:13,916 --> 00:11:14,832
I got style.

190
00:11:14,833 --> 00:11:16,500
Oh, everybody got style.

191
00:11:16,583 --> 00:11:19,708
Style ain't nothing but keeping
the same idea from beginning to end.

192
00:11:19,791 --> 00:11:21,166
Everybody got it.

193
00:11:21,250 --> 00:11:23,000
Everybody can't play like I do.

194
00:11:23,083 --> 00:11:24,916
Everybody can't have their own band.

195
00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,400
Until you get your own band
where you can play what you want,

196
00:11:27,458 --> 00:11:29,041
play the piece and stop complaining.

197
00:11:29,125 --> 00:11:32,041
I told you when you came on here,
this ain't none of them hot bands.

198
00:11:32,125 --> 00:11:35,541
This is an accompaniment band.
You play Ma's music when you're here.

199
00:11:35,625 --> 00:11:37,250
I got sense enough to know that.

200
00:11:37,333 --> 00:11:39,249
I could look at y'all
and see what kind of band it is.

201
00:11:39,250 --> 00:11:41,410
I could look at Toledo
and see what kind of band it is.

202
00:11:41,458 --> 00:11:44,833
Oh, now Toledo ain't said nothing to you.
Don't get Toledo started now.

203
00:11:44,916 --> 00:11:46,958
Is you all gonna
rehearse the music or ain't you?

204
00:11:47,041 --> 00:11:49,041
How many times you done play them songs?

205
00:11:49,125 --> 00:11:51,750
- What you gotta rehearse for?
- This a recording session.

206
00:11:51,833 --> 00:11:53,707
I want to get it right the first time
and get on out of here.

207
00:11:53,708 --> 00:11:55,833
Well, y'all go on and rehearse, then.

208
00:11:55,916 --> 00:11:58,708
I'm going to finish this song
for Mr. Sturdyvant.

209
00:11:59,416 --> 00:12:00,416
[hums]

210
00:12:02,375 --> 00:12:05,000
Levee, I don't want no shit.
You rehearse like everybody else.

211
00:12:05,083 --> 00:12:06,791
You in the band just like everybody else.

212
00:12:06,875 --> 00:12:09,083
Mr. Sturdyvant gonna have to wait.
It's the band's time.

213
00:12:09,166 --> 00:12:12,333
I'm ready if you want to rehearse.
I said there ain't no point in it.

214
00:12:12,416 --> 00:12:13,875
Ma ain't here. What's the point?

215
00:12:13,958 --> 00:12:18,541
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
One, two, you know what to do.

216
00:12:22,375 --> 00:12:23,666
[horns honking]

217
00:12:24,208 --> 00:12:25,750
[blues music playing]

218
00:12:27,666 --> 00:12:31,208
No, no, no. No, no.
We ain't doing it that way.

219
00:12:31,291 --> 00:12:33,541
We doing my version.
That's what Mr. Irvin told me.

220
00:12:33,625 --> 00:12:35,000
Say it's on the list he gave.

221
00:12:35,083 --> 00:12:36,374
Let me worry about what's on the list.

222
00:12:36,375 --> 00:12:38,375
What sense it make
to rehearse the wrong version?

223
00:12:38,458 --> 00:12:40,218
You supposed to rehearse
what you gonna play.

224
00:12:40,291 --> 00:12:42,207
- That's the way they taught me.
- That's what I'm trying to say.

225
00:12:42,208 --> 00:12:43,874
You trying to tell me
what we is and ain't gonna play,

226
00:12:43,875 --> 00:12:45,355
and that ain't none of your business.

227
00:12:45,375 --> 00:12:47,208
Your business is to play what I say.

228
00:12:47,291 --> 00:12:48,291
Oh. I see now.

229
00:12:48,333 --> 00:12:50,791
You done got jealous
'cause Mr. Irvin using my version.

230
00:12:50,875 --> 00:12:53,000
[scoffs] What I got
to be jealous of you about?

231
00:12:53,083 --> 00:12:55,290
The day I get jealous of you,
I may as well lay down and die.

232
00:12:55,291 --> 00:12:58,000
Levee started all that
'cause he too lazy to rehearse.

233
00:12:58,083 --> 00:13:01,000
Where's the paper?
Look at the paper. See what it say.

234
00:13:01,083 --> 00:13:02,249
Gonna tell me I'm too lazy to rehearse.

235
00:13:02,250 --> 00:13:03,790
[Cutler] We ain't talking about the paper.

236
00:13:03,791 --> 00:13:06,031
We talking about
you understanding where you fit in here.

237
00:13:06,083 --> 00:13:08,625
- You play what I say.
- I don't care what you play.

238
00:13:08,708 --> 00:13:11,708
Mr. Irvin gonna straighten it up.
I don't care what you play.

239
00:13:11,791 --> 00:13:13,583
You boys know what's keeping Ma?

240
00:13:14,583 --> 00:13:16,083
Uhâ¦

241
00:13:16,166 --> 00:13:19,000
Can't say, Mr. Irvin.
She'll be along directly, I reckon.

242
00:13:19,083 --> 00:13:20,208
Well, you go ahead.

243
00:13:20,291 --> 00:13:23,541
Mr. Irvinâ¦ [chuckles]
About these songsâ¦

244
00:13:24,208 --> 00:13:25,375
Whatever's on the list.

245
00:13:25,458 --> 00:13:26,978
I'm talking about this "Black Bottom."

246
00:13:27,333 --> 00:13:29,833
- It's on the list.
- Yes, sir, I know it's on the list.

247
00:13:29,916 --> 00:13:32,756
But I just want to know which version.
We got two versions of that song.

248
00:13:32,791 --> 00:13:35,500
Oh, Levee's version.
We're using Levee's arrangement.

249
00:13:36,416 --> 00:13:39,056
[Cutler] Okay, got that straight.
Now about this "Moonshine Blues."

250
00:13:39,125 --> 00:13:41,750
Yeah, we'll work it out with Ma, Cutler.

251
00:13:41,833 --> 00:13:44,208
You boys just rehearse
whatever's on that list.

252
00:13:46,375 --> 00:13:48,333
See, I told you!

253
00:13:48,416 --> 00:13:51,708
It don't mean nothing when I say it.
You got to wait for Mr. Irvin to say it.

254
00:13:51,791 --> 00:13:52,875
I told you the way it is.

255
00:13:52,958 --> 00:13:55,416
The sooner you understand
it ain't what you say,

256
00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:58,250
or what Mr. Irvin say,
it's what Ma say that count.

257
00:13:58,333 --> 00:14:00,708
I don't care what you play.
Don't matter to me.

258
00:14:00,791 --> 00:14:03,333
Mr. Irvin gonna straighten it up.
I don't care what you play.

259
00:14:03,416 --> 00:14:06,250
Thank you. All right, let's, uh,
play this "Hear Me Talking to You"

260
00:14:06,333 --> 00:14:08,457
till we figure out
what's going on with this "Black Bottom."

261
00:14:08,458 --> 00:14:12,291
One, two, you know what to do.

262
00:14:12,375 --> 00:14:14,458
[piano music playing]

263
00:14:17,291 --> 00:14:19,125
[blues music playing]

264
00:14:49,541 --> 00:14:52,333
Don't nobody say when it comes to Ma.
She gonna do what she wanna do.

265
00:14:52,416 --> 00:14:54,500
Mr. Irvin the one putting out the record.

266
00:14:54,583 --> 00:14:55,957
He gonna put out
what she want him to put out.

267
00:14:55,958 --> 00:14:58,540
Levee confused about who the boss is.
He don't know Ma's the boss.

268
00:14:58,541 --> 00:15:00,500
You know how many records
she sold in New York?

269
00:15:00,583 --> 00:15:03,666
And you know what's in New York?
Harlem. Harlem's in New York.

270
00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:05,249
[Slow Drag] So what
if they didn't sell in New York?

271
00:15:05,250 --> 00:15:07,165
We packed them in
in Memphis, Birmingham, Atlanta.

272
00:15:07,166 --> 00:15:10,291
We ain't in Memphis. We in Chicago.
We in a recording session.

273
00:15:10,375 --> 00:15:12,625
Mr. Sturdyvant and Mr. Irvin
say what's gonna be here.

274
00:15:12,708 --> 00:15:14,291
[blues music continues]

275
00:15:28,541 --> 00:15:30,166
You heard what the man told you.

276
00:15:30,250 --> 00:15:32,875
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
Levee's arrangement.

277
00:15:32,958 --> 00:15:34,875
There you go. That's what he told you.

278
00:15:34,958 --> 00:15:37,125
I don't know why y'all want
to pick with me about it.

279
00:15:37,208 --> 00:15:39,666
I'm with Slow Drag.
Let's go and get it rehearsed.

280
00:15:39,750 --> 00:15:42,500
All right, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,"
Levee's version.

281
00:15:42,583 --> 00:15:45,000
[Toledo] How that first part
go again there, Lev?

282
00:15:45,083 --> 00:15:46,083
It go like this.

283
00:15:47,333 --> 00:15:49,250
[playing lively tune on trumpet]

284
00:15:52,125 --> 00:15:53,708
That's to get the people's attention.

285
00:15:53,791 --> 00:15:56,583
That's when you and Slow Drag
come in with the rhythm,

286
00:15:56,666 --> 00:15:58,333
me and Cutler play on the breaks.

287
00:15:58,416 --> 00:16:00,374
The man asked how the part go.
Ain't ask for all that.

288
00:16:00,375 --> 00:16:01,750
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

289
00:16:02,333 --> 00:16:04,750
One, two, you know what to do.

290
00:16:13,125 --> 00:16:17,791
Hey, hey, hey. Y'all gotta keep up now.
You playing in the wrong time.

291
00:16:17,875 --> 00:16:20,666
Will you let us play this song?
We been playing before you was born.

292
00:16:20,750 --> 00:16:22,291
Trying to tell us how to play.

293
00:16:22,375 --> 00:16:24,000
All right. Let's try again.

294
00:16:24,083 --> 00:16:25,625
Wait a minute. Let me fix this.

295
00:16:25,708 --> 00:16:27,333
This string starting to unravel,

296
00:16:27,416 --> 00:16:29,875
and you know
I want to play Levee's music right.

297
00:16:29,958 --> 00:16:32,540
If you was any kind of musician,
you'd take care of your instrument.

298
00:16:32,541 --> 00:16:34,125
Keep it in tip-top order.

299
00:16:34,208 --> 00:16:37,208
If you was any kind of musician,
I'd let you be in my band.

300
00:16:37,291 --> 00:16:38,666
- Shit.
- Damn!

301
00:16:39,666 --> 00:16:41,708
Slow Drag, watch them
big-ass shoes you got.

302
00:16:41,791 --> 00:16:43,250
Ain't nobody done nothing to you.

303
00:16:43,333 --> 00:16:44,332
You done stepped on my shoes.

304
00:16:44,333 --> 00:16:45,833
Then move them out the way.

305
00:16:45,916 --> 00:16:47,516
You was in my way. I wasn't in your way.

306
00:16:47,541 --> 00:16:50,291
Any man who takes a whole week's pay
and puts it on some shoes,

307
00:16:50,375 --> 00:16:51,625
understand what I mean,

308
00:16:51,708 --> 00:16:53,958
what you walk around
on the ground with, is a fool.

309
00:16:54,041 --> 00:16:55,201
And I don't mind telling him.

310
00:16:55,250 --> 00:16:56,833
What difference it make to you?

311
00:16:56,916 --> 00:16:59,083
Ain't nothing wrong
with having nice shoes.

312
00:16:59,958 --> 00:17:01,625
- Look at Toledo.
- [Levee] Ooh!

313
00:17:01,708 --> 00:17:02,750
[all laughing]

314
00:17:02,833 --> 00:17:04,041
What?

315
00:17:06,208 --> 00:17:07,541
What was that about Toledo?

316
00:17:08,125 --> 00:17:11,041
Nigga got them clodhoppers. Old brogans.

317
00:17:11,125 --> 00:17:13,375
He ain't nothing but a sharecropper.

318
00:17:14,250 --> 00:17:15,416
Hey, Slow Drag.

319
00:17:17,166 --> 00:17:18,541
Play something for me.

320
00:17:18,625 --> 00:17:20,083
[playing upbeat tune]

321
00:17:23,166 --> 00:17:26,291
A man gotta have
some shoes to dance like this.

322
00:17:27,333 --> 00:17:30,583
He can't dance like this
with them clodhoppers Toledo got.

323
00:17:30,666 --> 00:17:33,791
That's the trouble with colored folks,
always looking to have a good time.

324
00:17:33,875 --> 00:17:35,874
More niggas have got killed
trying to have a good time

325
00:17:35,875 --> 00:17:37,458
than God got ways to count.

326
00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:41,875
âª When the world goes wrong
And I got the blues âª

327
00:17:41,958 --> 00:17:45,333
What the hell having a good time mean?
That's what I want to know.

328
00:17:45,416 --> 00:17:47,541
Got to be more to life
than just having a good time.

329
00:17:47,625 --> 00:17:49,958
If there ain't,
then this is a piss-poor life we're living

330
00:17:50,041 --> 00:17:51,833
if that's all there is
to be got out of it.

331
00:17:53,541 --> 00:17:56,000
Niggas been having
a good time before you was born,

332
00:17:56,083 --> 00:17:58,583
and they gonna keep
having a good time after you gone.

333
00:17:58,666 --> 00:18:01,458
Nobody talking about
making the lot for the colored man

334
00:18:01,541 --> 00:18:02,958
better for him here in America.

335
00:18:03,041 --> 00:18:05,458
Ain't nobody
thinking about what kind of life,

336
00:18:05,541 --> 00:18:07,082
the world they gonna leave
for the young'uns.

337
00:18:07,083 --> 00:18:10,208
It's just, "Show me a good time.
That's all I want."

338
00:18:10,291 --> 00:18:12,333
Aw. It just makes me sick.

339
00:18:12,416 --> 00:18:14,125
Good times is
what makes life worth living.

340
00:18:14,208 --> 00:18:15,165
Uh-huh.

341
00:18:15,166 --> 00:18:18,208
Hey, I know how to have a good time
as well as the next man.

342
00:18:18,708 --> 00:18:20,166
Yeah.

343
00:18:20,250 --> 00:18:23,666
I just said there's got to be
more to life than just having a good time.

344
00:18:23,750 --> 00:18:26,125
I said, the colored man
ought to be doing more

345
00:18:26,208 --> 00:18:28,458
than trying to
have a good time all the time.

346
00:18:30,666 --> 00:18:32,458
Well, what is you doing, nigga?

347
00:18:32,541 --> 00:18:34,208
You're talking all them highfalutin ideas

348
00:18:34,291 --> 00:18:36,171
about making
a better world for the colored man.

349
00:18:36,208 --> 00:18:37,875
What is you doing to make it better?

350
00:18:37,958 --> 00:18:42,000
You playing the music and looking for
your next piece of pussy same as we is.

351
00:18:42,083 --> 00:18:43,583
What is you doing?

352
00:18:43,666 --> 00:18:46,750
It ain't just me, fool. I said everybody.

353
00:18:46,833 --> 00:18:50,250
You think I'm gonna solve
the colored man's problem all by myself?

354
00:18:50,333 --> 00:18:53,083
I said "we." You understand that?

355
00:18:53,166 --> 00:18:56,250
We? That's every living
colored man in the world

356
00:18:56,333 --> 00:18:59,000
got to do his share, got to do his part.

357
00:18:59,083 --> 00:19:01,416
I ain't talking about
what I'm gonna do or you gonna do,

358
00:19:01,500 --> 00:19:04,083
or Cutler, Slow Drag, anybody else.

359
00:19:04,166 --> 00:19:08,291
I'm talking about
what all of us gonna do together.

360
00:19:08,375 --> 00:19:10,250
That's what I'm talking about, nigga.

361
00:19:11,666 --> 00:19:13,750
Well, why ain't you just say that then?

362
00:19:13,833 --> 00:19:15,291
[Slow Drag laughing]

363
00:19:16,125 --> 00:19:19,166
Toledo, I don't know
why you waste your time with this fool.

364
00:19:19,791 --> 00:19:21,374
I ain't gonna be
too many more of your fools.

365
00:19:21,375 --> 00:19:22,875
Ain't nobody studying you.

366
00:19:22,958 --> 00:19:25,416
All right, I ain't nobody.
Don't pay me no mind.

367
00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:27,000
Ain't nobody but the devil.

368
00:19:27,083 --> 00:19:28,625
There you go. That's who I am.

369
00:19:28,708 --> 00:19:30,457
I'm the devil.
I ain't nothing but the devil.

370
00:19:30,458 --> 00:19:33,333
- I know a man sold his soul to the devil.
- [all groan]

371
00:19:33,416 --> 00:19:36,916
Name of Eliza Cotter.
Lived in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.

372
00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:37,957
[laughs]

373
00:19:37,958 --> 00:19:40,791
Devil came by
and he upped and sold him his soul.

374
00:19:40,875 --> 00:19:43,958
Nigga, how you know
this man done sold his soul to the devil?

375
00:19:44,041 --> 00:19:46,208
You talking some old-woman foolishness.

376
00:19:46,291 --> 00:19:48,583
Everybody know. It wasn't no secret.

377
00:19:48,666 --> 00:19:51,066
He went around working
for the devil and everybody knowed it.

378
00:19:51,125 --> 00:19:53,708
Carried him a bag.
One of them carpet bags.

379
00:19:53,791 --> 00:19:56,333
Folks say he carried
the devil's papers and whatnot

380
00:19:56,416 --> 00:19:58,750
where he put
your fingerprint on the paper with blood.

381
00:19:58,833 --> 00:20:00,553
Where he at now?
That's what I want to know.

382
00:20:00,625 --> 00:20:02,875
He can have
my whole handprint if he want to.

383
00:20:02,958 --> 00:20:04,625
Showed up one day all fancied out

384
00:20:04,708 --> 00:20:07,416
in the finest clothes
you ever seen on a colored man.

385
00:20:08,166 --> 00:20:11,166
Pocketful of money,
just living the life of a rich man.

386
00:20:11,833 --> 00:20:14,000
Had him a string of women
he run around with

387
00:20:14,083 --> 00:20:15,666
and throw his money away on.

388
00:20:15,750 --> 00:20:18,166
One of the fellas
of them gals he was messing with

389
00:20:18,250 --> 00:20:20,625
got fixed on him wrong
and Eliza killed him.

390
00:20:20,708 --> 00:20:22,625
And laughed about it.

391
00:20:22,708 --> 00:20:25,000
Sheriff come
and arrest him and let him go.

392
00:20:25,083 --> 00:20:27,333
Trial come up. Judge cut him loose.

393
00:20:27,416 --> 00:20:28,332
Cut him loose

394
00:20:28,333 --> 00:20:30,666
- and give him a bottle of whiskey.
- [Cutler whistles]

395
00:20:30,750 --> 00:20:32,624
Folks ask what done happened
to make him change,

396
00:20:32,625 --> 00:20:35,875
and he tell them straight-out
he done sold his soul to the devil

397
00:20:35,958 --> 00:20:37,707
and asked them
if they wanted to sell theirs, too,

398
00:20:37,708 --> 00:20:39,416
'cause he could arrange it for them.

399
00:20:39,500 --> 00:20:42,375
Hold on. What happened to this fella?
That's what I want to know.

400
00:20:42,458 --> 00:20:45,250
Last I heard,
he headed up north with that bag of his,

401
00:20:45,333 --> 00:20:47,208
handing out
$100 bills on the spot

402
00:20:47,291 --> 00:20:49,625
to whoever wanted
to sign on with the devil.

403
00:20:49,708 --> 00:20:51,958
Hmm. I sure wish I knew where he went.

404
00:20:52,041 --> 00:20:53,521
He wouldn't have to convince me long.

405
00:20:53,541 --> 00:20:55,125
Hell, I'd even help him sign people up.

406
00:20:55,208 --> 00:20:59,166
Nigga, God gonna strike you down
with that blasphemy you talking.

407
00:20:59,250 --> 00:21:01,875
Oh, shit. God don't mean nothing to me.

408
00:21:01,958 --> 00:21:04,458
Let him strike me.
Here I am, standing right here.

409
00:21:04,541 --> 00:21:06,040
What you talking about he gonna strike me?

410
00:21:06,041 --> 00:21:08,750
Here I am.
Let him strike me. I ain't scared of him.

411
00:21:08,833 --> 00:21:10,625
All right. You gonna be sorry.

412
00:21:10,708 --> 00:21:12,308
You gonna fix yourself to have bad luck.

413
00:21:12,333 --> 00:21:13,813
Ain't nothing gonna work out for you.

414
00:21:13,833 --> 00:21:15,250
- Bad luck?
- Yeah.

415
00:21:15,333 --> 00:21:16,833
What I care about bad luck?

416
00:21:17,708 --> 00:21:19,208
You talking simple.

417
00:21:19,291 --> 00:21:21,250
I ain't had nothing
but bad luck all my life.

418
00:21:21,333 --> 00:21:24,250
Couldn't get no worse.
What the hell I care about bad luck?

419
00:21:24,333 --> 00:21:26,083
I eat it every day for breakfast.

420
00:21:26,166 --> 00:21:29,041
You dumber than I thought you was,
talking about bad luck.

421
00:21:29,833 --> 00:21:30,833
All right, nigga.

422
00:21:32,125 --> 00:21:34,000
You'll see. [chuckles]

423
00:21:34,583 --> 00:21:35,916
Can't tell a fool nothing.

424
00:21:37,125 --> 00:21:38,250
You'll see.

425
00:21:39,708 --> 00:21:41,000
[horns honking]

426
00:21:47,875 --> 00:21:49,000
Oh. There you go.

427
00:21:50,583 --> 00:21:51,666
Over there.

428
00:21:51,750 --> 00:21:53,583
- Whoa!
- [crashing]

429
00:21:53,666 --> 00:21:54,958
[horns honking]

430
00:22:00,375 --> 00:22:01,666
[man] What are you doing?

431
00:22:02,333 --> 00:22:04,958
Cutler, your boys' sandwiches are here.

432
00:22:05,458 --> 00:22:07,125
- Cutler?
- [policeman] Lady...

433
00:22:07,208 --> 00:22:08,915
- [Ma Rainey] This is a brand new car.
- Lady...

434
00:22:08,916 --> 00:22:10,125
Ain't had but a ding.

435
00:22:10,208 --> 00:22:13,291
- Okay, lady...
- [Ma Rainey] What you gonna do?

436
00:22:13,375 --> 00:22:14,290
- Ma!
- [policeman] I'm talking...

437
00:22:14,291 --> 00:22:16,332
[Ma Rainey] I got eyes, you got eyes.
What are you gonna do?

438
00:22:16,333 --> 00:22:17,457
- Listen to me...
- What happened?

439
00:22:17,458 --> 00:22:19,040
Tell this man who I am. Get him straight.

440
00:22:19,041 --> 00:22:20,875
Tell this man who he's messing with.

441
00:22:20,958 --> 00:22:23,333
Officer, what's the matter?
What's the problem?

442
00:22:23,416 --> 00:22:24,999
When I walked up
on the incident, this lady...

443
00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:27,833
- Sylvester wrecked Ma's car.
- Iâ¦ I did not. The man hit me.

444
00:22:27,916 --> 00:22:29,436
[policeman] You want it in a nutshell?

445
00:22:29,500 --> 00:22:30,915
We got her charged
with assault and battery.

446
00:22:30,916 --> 00:22:33,083
- Assault and what for what?
- Sylvester was driving...

447
00:22:33,166 --> 00:22:34,915
I can tell you what happened
if you wanna know.

448
00:22:34,916 --> 00:22:37,375
That's my nephew.
That's Sylvester. He was driving my car...

449
00:22:37,458 --> 00:22:39,625
- We don't know whose car it is.
- That's Ma's car.

450
00:22:39,708 --> 00:22:41,041
I bought and paid for that car.

451
00:22:41,125 --> 00:22:42,833
That's what you say.
We gotta check it out.

452
00:22:42,916 --> 00:22:44,125
What's the problem?

453
00:22:44,208 --> 00:22:45,207
I was calling the paddy wagon

454
00:22:45,208 --> 00:22:47,666
to haul them
to the station, sort everything out.

455
00:22:47,750 --> 00:22:49,915
- She's aggressive with the other driver...
- He got ugly with me.

456
00:22:49,916 --> 00:22:52,207
- I don't know why you tell that lie.
- You let me tell the story?

457
00:22:52,208 --> 00:22:54,333
Well, if you gonna tell it, tell it right.

458
00:23:00,750 --> 00:23:04,041
Like I said,
while I was waiting for the paddy wagon,

459
00:23:04,125 --> 00:23:05,845
I turn to hear
this guy's side of the story.

460
00:23:05,875 --> 00:23:07,515
She won't let him get a word in edgeways.

461
00:23:07,541 --> 00:23:10,208
He steps in front of her
to tell his version of things,

462
00:23:10,291 --> 00:23:11,207
she pushes him to the ground.

463
00:23:11,208 --> 00:23:12,583
She ain't hit him. He just fell.

464
00:23:12,666 --> 00:23:14,624
If that don't beat all to hell.
I ain't touched the man.

465
00:23:14,625 --> 00:23:17,250
All right, Ma. Officer,
can I speak to you for a minute?

466
00:23:17,333 --> 00:23:18,333
I got things to do.

467
00:23:18,416 --> 00:23:20,291
He bumped into me and fell down.

468
00:23:20,375 --> 00:23:22,333
Flopping on the ground like a rag doll.

469
00:23:23,541 --> 00:23:24,958
I ain't touch the man.

470
00:23:26,750 --> 00:23:28,208
[imperceptible]

471
00:23:32,750 --> 00:23:33,875
[Irvin] All right, Ma.

472
00:23:33,958 --> 00:23:35,500
Come on. Let's go. Move it out.

473
00:23:36,083 --> 00:23:37,124
I got it all taken care of.

474
00:23:37,125 --> 00:23:38,750
Clear it out. Come on. Let's go.

475
00:23:38,833 --> 00:23:40,208
What's going on? What did you do?

476
00:23:40,291 --> 00:23:41,249
Sturdyvant, get on away from me.

477
00:23:41,250 --> 00:23:43,370
That's the last thing I need,
to go through your shit.

478
00:23:43,375 --> 00:23:45,666
- [policeman] Everybody move along.
- It's not the place.

479
00:23:45,750 --> 00:23:47,000
Here, Ma.

480
00:23:47,916 --> 00:23:49,250
Let me take your things.

481
00:23:50,875 --> 00:23:52,625
- I don't believe we've met.
- Hi.

482
00:23:52,708 --> 00:23:54,749
That's my nephew Sylvester,
and that there's Dussie Mae.

483
00:23:54,750 --> 00:23:56,583
- Oh, hello.
- [Ma Rainey] Everybody here?

484
00:23:56,666 --> 00:23:58,125
They're in the band room.

485
00:23:58,208 --> 00:24:01,375
- Ma, why don't you sit and relax?
- I ain't for no sitting.

486
00:24:01,458 --> 00:24:03,916
- Where's the bathroom?
- Uh, down that hall.

487
00:24:04,416 --> 00:24:07,916
Honey, call down there and see about
my car. I need my car fixed today.

488
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,416
Why y'all keep it so hot in here?

489
00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:11,916
Y'all want to make records,
better get a fan on.

490
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,458
I got it, Ma.
I'll take care of everything.

491
00:24:29,750 --> 00:24:31,041
[Mel] She's late and already...

492
00:24:31,125 --> 00:24:33,750
I talked to her last night.
Got everything straight.

493
00:24:33,833 --> 00:24:35,958
You stay out of the way. Let me handle it.

494
00:24:36,041 --> 00:24:37,833
You handled it last time, remember?

495
00:24:37,916 --> 00:24:41,500
She marches in like she owns the place,
complains about the building being cold,

496
00:24:41,583 --> 00:24:44,000
trips over a mic wire,
then threatens to sue me.

497
00:24:48,291 --> 00:24:49,458
[playing piano]

498
00:24:50,416 --> 00:24:52,541
[humming softly]

499
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,291
I ain't never been in a recording studio.

500
00:25:03,416 --> 00:25:04,583
Where the band at?

501
00:25:04,666 --> 00:25:06,583
They off somewhere rehearsing.

502
00:25:08,166 --> 00:25:10,250
Come over here and let me see that dress.

503
00:25:11,875 --> 00:25:13,416
That dress look nice.

504
00:25:15,250 --> 00:25:17,833
I'm gonna take you tomorrow
to get you some things

505
00:25:17,916 --> 00:25:19,666
before I take you down to Memphis.

506
00:25:20,416 --> 00:25:23,666
They got some clothes up here
they ain't got in Memphis.

507
00:25:24,458 --> 00:25:26,791
- I want you to look nice for me, hmm?
- Mmm-hmm.

508
00:25:26,875 --> 00:25:29,750
You gonna travel with the show,
you gotta look nice.

509
00:25:29,833 --> 00:25:32,458
I just need me some new shoes.
These hurt my feet.

510
00:25:32,541 --> 00:25:35,916
Oh, don't you be messing around
with no shoes that pinch your feet.

511
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,875
Ma knows something about bad feet. Mmm.

512
00:25:42,083 --> 00:25:44,916
âª Oh, Lord âª

513
00:25:47,208 --> 00:25:50,333
âª These dogs of mine âª

514
00:25:51,208 --> 00:25:55,041
âª They sure do hurt me âª

515
00:25:55,125 --> 00:25:58,375
âª All the time âª

516
00:26:00,333 --> 00:26:02,500
âª Reason why? âª

517
00:26:02,583 --> 00:26:05,625
âª I don't know âª

518
00:26:05,708 --> 00:26:07,083
[Dussie Mae chuckles]

519
00:26:07,833 --> 00:26:13,708
âª Lord, I beg to be excused âª

520
00:26:14,708 --> 00:26:16,875
[growling]

521
00:26:18,791 --> 00:26:20,041
[both laugh]

522
00:26:20,125 --> 00:26:21,166
[Ma Rainey] Okay.

523
00:26:21,916 --> 00:26:24,500
Go on, get my slippers
out my bag over yonder.

524
00:26:24,583 --> 00:26:26,208
[plays notes on piano]

525
00:26:30,375 --> 00:26:34,291
âª I can't wear me no sharp-toed shoes âª

526
00:26:36,083 --> 00:26:38,666
âª I went for a walk âª

527
00:26:39,541 --> 00:26:41,041
âª I stopped to talk âª

528
00:26:43,833 --> 00:26:50,125
âª Oh, how my corns did bark âª

529
00:26:50,833 --> 00:26:53,833
[sighs] I just want
some of them yellow ones.

530
00:26:53,916 --> 00:26:55,666
About a half size bigger.

531
00:26:55,750 --> 00:26:58,541
We'll get you whatever you need.
Sylvester too.

532
00:26:58,625 --> 00:26:59,905
Sylvester, tuck your clothes in.

533
00:26:59,958 --> 00:27:02,458
Straighten them up and look nice.
Like a gentleman.

534
00:27:02,541 --> 00:27:03,874
Look at Sylvester with that hat on.

535
00:27:03,875 --> 00:27:07,250
[Ma Rainey] Take that hat off inside.
Come over here and leave that piano.

536
00:27:07,333 --> 00:27:10,875
[stammering] I ain't doing nothing
to theâ¦ piano. I'mâ¦ lâ¦ looking at it.

537
00:27:10,958 --> 00:27:13,208
Baby, come over here and sit down.
Come on.

538
00:27:14,500 --> 00:27:16,083
Soon as Mr. Irvin come back,

539
00:27:16,166 --> 00:27:18,833
I'm gonna have him take you down,
introduce you to the band.

540
00:27:19,583 --> 00:27:21,791
Cutler gonna show you how your part go.

541
00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:24,666
When you get your money,
send some of it home to your mama.

542
00:27:24,750 --> 00:27:27,916
- Let her know you're doing all right.
- Okay.

543
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:32,250
Ma, I called down
to the garage and checked on your car.

544
00:27:32,333 --> 00:27:36,000
It's just a scratch, and they'll
have it ready for you this afternoon.

545
00:27:36,083 --> 00:27:38,250
They'll send it over
with one of their fellows.

546
00:27:38,333 --> 00:27:39,708
Better have my car fixed right.

547
00:27:39,791 --> 00:27:43,166
I ain't going for that. Brand-new car.
They better fix it like new.

548
00:27:43,250 --> 00:27:45,000
[lively music playing faintly]

549
00:27:52,458 --> 00:27:54,583
Irvin, what is that I hear?

550
00:27:54,666 --> 00:27:56,708
I know they ain't rehearsing
Levee's "Black Bottom."

551
00:27:56,791 --> 00:27:58,166
I know I ain't hearing that.

552
00:27:58,250 --> 00:28:00,208
Ma, it's what I wanted
to talk to you about.

553
00:28:00,291 --> 00:28:02,500
Levee's version, it really picks it up.

554
00:28:02,583 --> 00:28:06,208
I ain't studying Levee nothing.
I know what he done to that song.

555
00:28:06,291 --> 00:28:08,833
I don't like to sing it that way.
I'm doing it the old way.

556
00:28:08,916 --> 00:28:11,416
That's why I brought my nephew
in here to do the voice intro.

557
00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:15,000
That's what people want now, Ma.
They want something they can dance to.

558
00:28:15,083 --> 00:28:17,208
Levee's arrangement
gives the people what they want.

559
00:28:17,291 --> 00:28:20,000
It makes them excited,
forget about their troubles.

560
00:28:20,083 --> 00:28:24,166
I don't care what you say, honey.
Levee ain't messing up my song.

561
00:28:24,250 --> 00:28:26,916
If he got what the people want,
let him take it somewhere else.

562
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,416
I'm singing Ma Rainey's song,
not Levee's song.

563
00:28:29,500 --> 00:28:31,083
Now that's all there is to it.

564
00:28:31,666 --> 00:28:34,750
Carry my nephew on down there.
Introduce him to the band.

565
00:28:34,833 --> 00:28:36,958
I promised my sister I'd look out for him,

566
00:28:37,041 --> 00:28:40,291
so he's gonna do
the voice intro to the song my way.

567
00:28:40,375 --> 00:28:41,458
[Irvin] We just figured...

568
00:28:41,541 --> 00:28:45,541
Who's this "we"? What you mean "we"?
Come talking this "we" stuff. Who "we"?

569
00:28:46,125 --> 00:28:47,708
Me and Sturdyvant. We decided...

570
00:28:47,791 --> 00:28:50,250
You decided, huh?
I'm just a bump on a log.

571
00:28:50,333 --> 00:28:52,207
I'm just gonna go
whichever way the river drift.

572
00:28:52,208 --> 00:28:54,000
Is that it? You and Sturdyvant decided?

573
00:28:54,083 --> 00:28:56,163
- No. We just thought...
- I ain't got no good sense.

574
00:28:56,208 --> 00:28:59,541
I know nothing about music
or what a good song is or what ain't.

575
00:28:59,625 --> 00:29:01,208
You know more about my fans than I do.

576
00:29:01,291 --> 00:29:03,833
It's not that.
It's more of what the people want.

577
00:29:05,291 --> 00:29:09,458
Tell you something, Irvin, and you can go
up there and you can tell Sturdyvant too.

578
00:29:10,083 --> 00:29:13,375
What you all say
don't count with me, you understand?

579
00:29:13,458 --> 00:29:16,375
Ma listen to her heart.
Ma listen to the voice inside her.

580
00:29:16,458 --> 00:29:17,833
That's what count with Ma.

581
00:29:18,625 --> 00:29:20,250
Carry my nephew on down there.

582
00:29:20,333 --> 00:29:23,500
Tell Cutler he'll do the voice intro
to the "Black Bottom" song.

583
00:29:23,583 --> 00:29:25,166
Levee ain't messing up my song.

584
00:29:25,250 --> 00:29:27,082
If that don't set right
with you and Sturdyvant,

585
00:29:27,083 --> 00:29:29,583
I can carry my black bottom
on back down South to my tour,

586
00:29:29,666 --> 00:29:31,625
'cause I don't like it up here noways.

587
00:29:32,291 --> 00:29:34,125
Okay, Ma.

588
00:29:35,125 --> 00:29:36,125
I don't care.

589
00:29:38,583 --> 00:29:40,625
- I just thought...
- Damn what you thought!

590
00:29:40,708 --> 00:29:43,125
What you look like
trying to tell me how to sing my song.

591
00:29:43,208 --> 00:29:45,833
That Levee and Sturdyvant shit,
I ain't going for it.

592
00:29:47,708 --> 00:29:51,041
Sylvester, go introduce yourself.
I'm through playing with Irvin.

593
00:29:51,125 --> 00:29:53,875
Uhâ¦ Where I go? Which way they at?

594
00:29:55,041 --> 00:29:57,375
Come on. I'll carry you down there myself.

595
00:29:57,458 --> 00:29:59,208
Can I go? I want to see the band.

596
00:29:59,291 --> 00:30:00,541
No. Come on, Sylvester.

597
00:30:01,166 --> 00:30:03,708
Okay, Ma. Have it your way,

598
00:30:04,291 --> 00:30:06,166
but we'll be ready to go in 15 minutes.

599
00:30:06,250 --> 00:30:08,291
We'll be ready to go when Madam says so.

600
00:30:08,375 --> 00:30:10,083
That's the way it go around here.

601
00:30:12,166 --> 00:30:13,208
Perfect.

602
00:30:13,291 --> 00:30:14,666
[upbeat music playing]

603
00:30:32,291 --> 00:30:34,250
Cutler, this here my nephew Sylvester.

604
00:30:34,333 --> 00:30:37,541
He'll do the voice intro
on "Black Bottom" using the old version.

605
00:30:37,625 --> 00:30:39,916
What? Mr. Irvin said
we're using my version.

606
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,541
I ain't studying you or Mr. Irvin.

607
00:30:41,625 --> 00:30:43,624
Cutler, get him straightened out
on how to do his part.

608
00:30:43,625 --> 00:30:44,785
I ain't thinking about Levee.

609
00:30:44,833 --> 00:30:47,000
These folks done messed
with the wrong person.

610
00:30:47,083 --> 00:30:50,791
Cutler gonna teach you how to do
your part. Go ahead and get it straight.

611
00:30:50,875 --> 00:30:52,958
Don't worry about what nobody else say.

612
00:30:53,041 --> 00:30:54,125
[Cutler laughing]

613
00:30:55,666 --> 00:30:58,250
Hey, come on in, boy.
I'm Cutler. [chuckles]

614
00:30:58,333 --> 00:31:01,875
That's Toledo, Levee,
and Slow Drag over there.

615
00:31:01,958 --> 00:31:04,166
- Sylvester, huh?
- Sylvester Brown.

616
00:31:04,250 --> 00:31:05,750
I wrote a version of that song,

617
00:31:05,833 --> 00:31:08,541
what picks it up
and sets it down in the people's lap,

618
00:31:08,625 --> 00:31:10,416
and here she come talking this.

619
00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:14,000
You don't need that old circus bullshit.
I know what I'm talking about.

620
00:31:14,083 --> 00:31:16,291
You gonna mess up the song,
Cutler, and you know it.

621
00:31:16,375 --> 00:31:17,832
I ain't gonna mess up nothing. Ma say...

622
00:31:17,833 --> 00:31:19,458
I don't care what Ma say!

623
00:31:20,041 --> 00:31:22,500
I'm talking about
what the intro gonna do to the song.

624
00:31:22,583 --> 00:31:25,415
The peoples in the North ain't gonna
go for that old tent-show nonsense.

625
00:31:25,416 --> 00:31:27,124
- They wanna hear some music.
- [Cutler] Nigga.

626
00:31:27,125 --> 00:31:29,791
I done told you time and again.
Ma say what to play, not you.

627
00:31:29,875 --> 00:31:32,833
You ain't here to be doing no creating.
You play whatever Ma say.

628
00:31:32,916 --> 00:31:35,208
I might not play nothing.
I might just quit.

629
00:31:35,291 --> 00:31:38,208
Nigga, don't nobody care if you quit.
Whose heart you gonna break?

630
00:31:38,291 --> 00:31:39,458
Levee ain't gonna quit.

631
00:31:39,541 --> 00:31:41,666
He need to make money
to keep him in shoe polish.

632
00:31:41,750 --> 00:31:44,250
- [scoffs]
- [all laughing]

633
00:31:44,333 --> 00:31:47,583
I done told y'all you don't know me.
You don't know what I'll do.

634
00:31:47,666 --> 00:31:50,125
I don't think nobody give a damn.
Sylvester, look here.

635
00:31:50,208 --> 00:31:52,791
The band plays the intro,
and then you say,

636
00:31:52,875 --> 00:31:55,208
"All right, boys, you done seen the rest."

637
00:31:55,291 --> 00:31:56,833
"Now I'm gonna show you the best."

638
00:31:56,916 --> 00:31:59,833
"Ma Rainey's gonna
show you her black bottom."

639
00:32:00,416 --> 00:32:03,541
You got that? Heh. All right,
let me hear you do it one time.

640
00:32:05,791 --> 00:32:08,083
All right, boys, you done sâ¦ sâ¦
[stuttering]

641
00:32:09,583 --> 00:32:10,625
â¦seen the rest.

642
00:32:11,333 --> 00:32:12,458
[stammering]

643
00:32:12,541 --> 00:32:14,166
Now I'm gonna show you the best.

644
00:32:15,125 --> 00:32:19,166
Ma Rainey's gonna show you
her black bâ¦ bâ¦ bâ¦

645
00:32:19,250 --> 00:32:21,083
[stuttering]

646
00:32:21,166 --> 00:32:22,250
â¦bottom.

647
00:32:22,333 --> 00:32:26,791
[scoffs] All right, Cutler.
Let me see you fix that.

648
00:32:27,500 --> 00:32:28,958
Straighten that out.

649
00:32:29,041 --> 00:32:31,750
Slow Drag, whoo, you hear this shit?

650
00:32:31,833 --> 00:32:34,583
How in the hell the boy
gonna do the part if he can't even talk?

651
00:32:34,666 --> 00:32:37,750
[stuttering] Whoâ¦ Who's you
to tell me what to do, nigga?

652
00:32:37,833 --> 00:32:41,041
This ain't your band.
Ma tell me to dâ¦ do it, I'mma do it.

653
00:32:41,625 --> 00:32:44,375
So you can go to hellâ¦
nâ¦ nâ¦ nigga.

654
00:32:45,250 --> 00:32:46,958
[laughs]

655
00:32:47,041 --> 00:32:50,625
[mockingly] Bâ¦ Boy, ain't nobody
studying you. Cutler, go on and fix that.

656
00:32:51,208 --> 00:32:53,750
You fix that
and I'll shine your shoes for you.

657
00:32:53,833 --> 00:32:55,375
Go on and fix that one.

658
00:32:55,458 --> 00:32:58,958
You say, uh, you Ma's nephew?

659
00:32:59,041 --> 00:33:00,750
Yeah, so what that mean?

660
00:33:00,833 --> 00:33:03,250
Oh, I ain't meant nothing.
I was just asking.

661
00:33:03,333 --> 00:33:05,250
Let's rehearse
so the boy can get it right.

662
00:33:05,333 --> 00:33:07,083
I ain't rehearsing nothing.

663
00:33:07,166 --> 00:33:08,750
Just wait till I get my band together.

664
00:33:08,833 --> 00:33:11,458
I'm gonna record that song
and show you how it's supposed to go.

665
00:33:11,541 --> 00:33:14,375
We can do it without Levee.
Sylvester, you remember your part?

666
00:33:14,458 --> 00:33:17,666
Yeah, Iâ¦ I remember pretty gâ¦ good.

667
00:33:18,666 --> 00:33:20,958
Well, come on.
Let's do it then. All right?

668
00:33:21,750 --> 00:33:23,958
[piano music playing]

669
00:33:24,041 --> 00:33:25,041
Levee.

670
00:33:25,583 --> 00:33:27,000
[footsteps approaching]

671
00:33:30,583 --> 00:33:32,625
Good, you boys are rehearsing, I see.

672
00:33:32,708 --> 00:33:36,375
Yessir, we rehearsing.
We know them songs real good.

673
00:33:36,458 --> 00:33:39,041
Good. Say, Levee,
did you finish that song?

674
00:33:39,750 --> 00:33:41,750
Yessir, Mr. Sturdyvant.
I got it right here.

675
00:33:42,333 --> 00:33:45,041
I wrote that other part
just like you say. It go likeâ¦

676
00:33:45,625 --> 00:33:48,125
âª You can swing it
You can bring it âª

677
00:33:48,208 --> 00:33:51,041
âª You can dance at any hall âª

678
00:33:51,125 --> 00:33:54,291
âª You can slide across the floor
You'll never have to stall âª

679
00:33:54,375 --> 00:33:56,250
âª My jelly roll âª

680
00:33:56,333 --> 00:33:58,413
Then I wrote that part
for the other people to dance,

681
00:33:58,416 --> 00:34:00,207
like you say, for them
to forget about their troubles.

682
00:34:00,208 --> 00:34:03,083
Good. I'll see about your songs
as soon as I get the chance.

683
00:34:03,166 --> 00:34:05,750
- I'll just take this.
- Yessir, Mr. Sturdyvant.

684
00:34:06,416 --> 00:34:08,083
Soon as you get the chance.

685
00:34:09,166 --> 00:34:11,250
[all laughing]

686
00:34:11,333 --> 00:34:12,957
[Cutler] You hear Levee?
You hear this nigga?

687
00:34:12,958 --> 00:34:14,583
"Yessir, we's rehearsing, boss."

688
00:34:14,666 --> 00:34:17,583
I heard him.
Seen him too. Shuffling them feet.

689
00:34:17,666 --> 00:34:20,041
[Toledo] Yeah, well,
Levee can't help it none.

690
00:34:20,125 --> 00:34:24,291
He's spooked up by the white man.
Ain't had time to study 'em.

691
00:34:24,375 --> 00:34:27,125
I studies the white man,
I got him studied good.

692
00:34:27,208 --> 00:34:30,666
The first time one fixes on me wrong,
I'm gonna show him just how much I study.

693
00:34:30,750 --> 00:34:32,708
Come tell me
I'm spooked up by the white man.

694
00:34:32,791 --> 00:34:35,541
You let one mess with me,
I'll show you how spooked up I am.

695
00:34:35,625 --> 00:34:38,541
The man come in here, call you a boy,

696
00:34:38,625 --> 00:34:41,208
tell you to get up
off your ass and rehearse,

697
00:34:41,291 --> 00:34:43,458
and you ain't had
nothing to say except, "Yessir!"

698
00:34:43,541 --> 00:34:44,833
[all laughing]

699
00:34:46,166 --> 00:34:49,375
I can say "yessir" to whoever I please.
What you got to do with it?

700
00:34:49,458 --> 00:34:52,458
I know how to handle white folks.
I been handling them for 32 years.

701
00:34:52,541 --> 00:34:54,041
You gonna tell me how to do it?

702
00:34:54,125 --> 00:34:56,541
Just 'cause I say "yessir,"
don't mean I'm spooked up by him.

703
00:34:56,625 --> 00:34:59,000
I know what I'm doing.
Let me handle him my way.

704
00:34:59,083 --> 00:35:00,563
[Cutler] Well, go and handle it then.

705
00:35:00,583 --> 00:35:02,416
Toledo, you always messing with somebody.

706
00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:06,125
Always agitating somebody
with that old philosophy bullshit.

707
00:35:06,208 --> 00:35:08,541
You stay out of my way
about what I do and say.

708
00:35:08,625 --> 00:35:11,083
I'm my own person. Just let me alone.

709
00:35:11,166 --> 00:35:15,000
All right, all right.
Levee, you right. I apologize.

710
00:35:15,083 --> 00:35:17,791
Ain't none of my business
you spooked up by the white man.

711
00:35:17,875 --> 00:35:20,250
- [all laughing]
- See, that's the shit I'm talking about.

712
00:35:20,333 --> 00:35:22,166
Y'all back up and leave Levee alone.

713
00:35:22,250 --> 00:35:24,833
Oh, come on, Levee.
We was all just having fun.

714
00:35:24,916 --> 00:35:27,207
Toledo ain't said nothing about you
he ain't said about me.

715
00:35:27,208 --> 00:35:28,368
You just taking it all wrong.

716
00:35:28,416 --> 00:35:29,625
I ain't meant nothing by it.

717
00:35:29,708 --> 00:35:31,500
Levee got to be Levee!

718
00:35:32,125 --> 00:35:35,041
He don't need nobody messing with him
about the white man!

719
00:35:35,875 --> 00:35:39,000
'Cause you don't know nothing about me.
You don't know Levee.

720
00:35:39,083 --> 00:35:41,333
You don't know nothing
about what kind of blood I got!

721
00:35:41,416 --> 00:35:43,375
What kind of a heart I got beating here!

722
00:35:46,125 --> 00:35:47,708
I was eight years old

723
00:35:48,291 --> 00:35:50,708
when a gang of white mans
come into my daddy's house

724
00:35:50,791 --> 00:35:53,208
and have to do with my mama
any way they want.

725
00:35:54,708 --> 00:35:59,291
We was living in Jefferson County,
about eight miles outside of Natchez.

726
00:35:59,375 --> 00:36:02,666
My daddy's name was Memphis.
Memphis Lee Green.

727
00:36:02,750 --> 00:36:07,041
Had him near 50 acres of good
farming land. I'm talking good land.

728
00:36:07,125 --> 00:36:08,708
Grow anything you want.

729
00:36:09,500 --> 00:36:11,500
He done gone off of shares
and bought this land

730
00:36:11,583 --> 00:36:14,125
from Mr. Hallie's widow woman
after he done passed on.

731
00:36:14,208 --> 00:36:17,166
Folks called him a uppity nigger
'cause he done saved and borrowed

732
00:36:17,250 --> 00:36:19,875
to where he could
buy this land and be independent.

733
00:36:21,125 --> 00:36:22,833
It was coming on planting time,

734
00:36:23,500 --> 00:36:26,916
and my daddy went into Natchez
to get him some seed and fertilizer.

735
00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:31,500
Called me, say, "Levee,
you the man of the house now."

736
00:36:33,333 --> 00:36:35,458
"Take care of your mama while I'm gone."

737
00:36:38,416 --> 00:36:39,958
I wasn't but a little boy.

738
00:36:41,541 --> 00:36:42,875
Eight years old.

739
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:47,083
My mamaâ¦

740
00:36:48,291 --> 00:36:51,416
was frying up some chicken
when them mans come in the house.

741
00:36:52,333 --> 00:36:54,125
Must have been eight or nine of 'em.

742
00:36:55,458 --> 00:36:59,875
She's standing there frying that chicken
when them mans come and took a hold of her

743
00:36:59,958 --> 00:37:04,541
just like you take hold of a mule
and make it do what you want.

744
00:37:08,541 --> 00:37:10,041
There was my mamaâ¦

745
00:37:11,500 --> 00:37:13,208
with a gang of white mans.

746
00:37:17,750 --> 00:37:19,666
She tried to fight 'em off.

747
00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,750
I could see where
it wasn't gonna do her any good.

748
00:37:25,041 --> 00:37:27,125
I didn't know what they was doing to her,

749
00:37:27,208 --> 00:37:30,541
but I figured whatever it was,
they might as well do to me too.

750
00:37:32,666 --> 00:37:36,625
My daddy had a knife he kept around there
for hunting and working and whatnot.

751
00:37:36,708 --> 00:37:39,708
And I knew where he kept it.
I went and got it.

752
00:37:42,125 --> 00:37:47,125
I'm gonna show you
how spooked up I was by the white man.

753
00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,875
I tried my damnedest
to cut one of them's throat.

754
00:37:53,208 --> 00:37:54,750
I hit him on the shoulder.

755
00:37:55,875 --> 00:37:57,595
He reached back,
grabbed hold of that knife,

756
00:37:57,625 --> 00:38:00,041
and whacked me across the chest with it.

757
00:38:03,916 --> 00:38:05,000
[sniffles]

758
00:38:05,833 --> 00:38:07,416
That's what made them stop.

759
00:38:08,833 --> 00:38:11,041
They was scared
I was gonna bleed to death.

760
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:14,791
My mama wrapped me in a blanket,

761
00:38:14,875 --> 00:38:18,000
carried me two miles
down to the Furlow place

762
00:38:18,083 --> 00:38:20,333
and they drove me up to Doc Albans.

763
00:38:20,416 --> 00:38:23,958
He was waiting on a calf to be born,
and he say he ain't had time to see me.

764
00:38:25,125 --> 00:38:27,375
They carried me to Miss Etta, the midwife,

765
00:38:28,541 --> 00:38:30,000
and she fixed me up.

766
00:38:32,333 --> 00:38:33,791
My daddy came back

767
00:38:34,791 --> 00:38:37,708
and acted like he done accepted
the facts of what happened.

768
00:38:38,208 --> 00:38:40,583
He got the names
of them mans from Mama.

769
00:38:41,708 --> 00:38:43,000
He found out who they was,

770
00:38:43,083 --> 00:38:45,333
and then we announced
we was moving out that county.

771
00:38:45,416 --> 00:38:47,916
We said goodbye to everybody,
all the neighbors.

772
00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,291
[breathes deeply]

773
00:38:50,375 --> 00:38:53,375
My daddy went and smiled
in the face of one of them crackers

774
00:38:53,458 --> 00:38:54,916
who had been with my mama.

775
00:38:57,125 --> 00:38:58,708
Smiled in his faceâ¦

776
00:38:59,958 --> 00:39:01,625
and sold him our land.

777
00:39:03,833 --> 00:39:06,500
We moved over with relations in Caldwell.

778
00:39:07,208 --> 00:39:09,000
He got us settled in,

779
00:39:09,708 --> 00:39:12,875
and then he took off one day.
I ain't never seen him since.

780
00:39:16,500 --> 00:39:17,958
[chuckles sadly]

781
00:39:18,041 --> 00:39:19,375
He sneaked back.

782
00:39:21,125 --> 00:39:22,666
Hiding up in the woods,

783
00:39:23,541 --> 00:39:26,083
laying to get them eight or nine men.

784
00:39:29,083 --> 00:39:31,500
He got four of them before they got him.

785
00:39:33,125 --> 00:39:34,291
[chuckles]

786
00:39:38,083 --> 00:39:39,583
[inhales deeply]

787
00:39:39,666 --> 00:39:41,625
They tracked him down in the woods.

788
00:39:44,166 --> 00:39:45,625
Caught up with him, hung himâ¦

789
00:39:47,166 --> 00:39:48,333
set him afire.

790
00:39:53,208 --> 00:39:56,875
My daddy wasn't spooked up
by the white man. No, sir.

791
00:39:57,958 --> 00:40:00,208
And that taught me how to handle them.

792
00:40:01,291 --> 00:40:05,791
I seen my daddy go up
and grin in this cracker's face.

793
00:40:05,875 --> 00:40:08,291
[laughs scornfully]

794
00:40:08,375 --> 00:40:11,541
Smile in his face and sell him his land.

795
00:40:11,625 --> 00:40:15,208
All the while,
he's planning how he's gonna get him

796
00:40:16,083 --> 00:40:17,625
and what he's gonna do to him.

797
00:40:19,333 --> 00:40:21,208
That taught me how to handle them.

798
00:40:23,166 --> 00:40:27,000
So you all just back up
and leave Levee alone about the white man.

799
00:40:27,833 --> 00:40:31,416
I can smile and say "yessir"
to whoever I please.

800
00:40:31,500 --> 00:40:33,458
I got my time coming to me.

801
00:40:36,791 --> 00:40:39,416
You all just leave Levee alone
about the white man.

802
00:40:57,500 --> 00:41:00,583
[Toledo] âª Everybody âª

803
00:41:03,375 --> 00:41:06,666
Everybody come
from different places in Africa, right?

804
00:41:06,750 --> 00:41:08,416
Different tribes and things.

805
00:41:09,500 --> 00:41:11,958
Soon awhile they began
to make one big stew.

806
00:41:12,666 --> 00:41:16,583
You had your, uh, carrots and your peas,

807
00:41:16,666 --> 00:41:18,541
and your potatoes over here.

808
00:41:18,625 --> 00:41:21,000
And over there,
you had your meat and nuts,

809
00:41:21,083 --> 00:41:23,208
uh, okra, corn.

810
00:41:23,291 --> 00:41:28,041
And you mix it up, cook it real good
to where the flavors flow through.

811
00:41:28,125 --> 00:41:29,875
And then you got one thing.

812
00:41:29,958 --> 00:41:32,041
You got a stew.

813
00:41:33,041 --> 00:41:36,041
Now you take and you eat that stew.

814
00:41:36,125 --> 00:41:40,541
You take
and you make your history with that stew.

815
00:41:41,708 --> 00:41:45,250
But you look around
and you see some carrots over there,

816
00:41:45,333 --> 00:41:48,083
and some peas over here.

817
00:41:48,875 --> 00:41:53,208
Andâ¦ that stew is still there.

818
00:41:54,583 --> 00:41:58,708
Hmm. You done made your history
and it's still there.

819
00:42:00,708 --> 00:42:03,541
You can't eat it all. [laughs]

820
00:42:06,875 --> 00:42:07,958
What you got?

821
00:42:08,916 --> 00:42:12,000
You got some leftovers. That's what it is.

822
00:42:13,416 --> 00:42:15,500
[plays piano]

823
00:42:15,583 --> 00:42:21,875
See, we's the leftovers.
The colored man, he is the leftovers. Huh.

824
00:42:21,958 --> 00:42:23,250
[piano continues playing]

825
00:42:36,166 --> 00:42:38,083
What's the colored man
gonna do with himself?

826
00:42:39,500 --> 00:42:40,708
[sighs]

827
00:42:40,791 --> 00:42:42,708
That's what we're waiting to find out.

828
00:42:48,750 --> 00:42:53,875
But first he's got to know
that he's a leftover.

829
00:43:03,166 --> 00:43:04,833
[upbeat jazz music playing]

830
00:43:22,750 --> 00:43:23,750
[Cutler] Mr. Irvin.

831
00:43:27,416 --> 00:43:29,500
I ain't got nothing to do with it, butâ¦

832
00:43:31,041 --> 00:43:32,541
the boy can't do the part.

833
00:43:32,625 --> 00:43:34,625
He stutters right through it every time.

834
00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:38,875
It's a whole different bottom, though.
It's a whole different style.

835
00:43:38,958 --> 00:43:41,875
[Cutler] Relax and breathe,
and everything's gonna be all right.

836
00:43:41,958 --> 00:43:44,208
I'm just gonna cue you inâ¦

837
00:43:44,291 --> 00:43:47,166
[Slow Drag] I know where the four is, man.
Don't got to tell me nothing.

838
00:43:47,250 --> 00:43:51,125
[Cutler] You're gonna smile and say
the line. Then we gonna get goin'.

839
00:43:51,208 --> 00:43:53,208
- Cutler.
- Ma'am?

840
00:43:53,291 --> 00:43:55,750
[Slow Drag] I know it's on the fourâ¦

841
00:43:55,833 --> 00:43:58,875
Levee got his eyes in the wrong place.
You better school him, Cutler.

842
00:43:58,958 --> 00:44:02,208
Come on, Levee. Let's get ready to play.
Keep your mind on your work.

843
00:44:02,291 --> 00:44:05,500
Okay, boys. Here we go.
Here we go. Here we go.

844
00:44:06,083 --> 00:44:09,000
"Moonshine Blues" first.
"Moonshine Blues," Ma.

845
00:44:09,083 --> 00:44:11,723
I ain't doing no moonshine nothing.
I'm doing "Black Bottom" first.

846
00:44:11,750 --> 00:44:13,583
Come on, Sylvester.
Where's Sylvester's mic?

847
00:44:13,666 --> 00:44:15,250
Irvin, get him a mic.

848
00:44:15,333 --> 00:44:18,833
Uhâ¦ Ma, the boys say he can't do it.

849
00:44:19,416 --> 00:44:22,958
Who? Who say he can't do it?
What boys say he can't do it?

850
00:44:24,125 --> 00:44:25,791
The band, Ma. The boys in the band.

851
00:44:27,916 --> 00:44:28,958
What band?

852
00:44:30,833 --> 00:44:31,958
Band work for me.

853
00:44:32,041 --> 00:44:34,625
[Irvin] He stutters, Ma.
They say he stutters.

854
00:44:34,708 --> 00:44:36,541
I don't care if he do.

855
00:44:36,625 --> 00:44:39,791
I promised the boy
he could do the part, so he gonna do it.

856
00:44:39,875 --> 00:44:43,458
And that's all there is to it.
He don't stutter all the time.

857
00:44:43,541 --> 00:44:45,166
Get a microphone down here for him.

858
00:44:45,250 --> 00:44:46,625
We don't have time. We can't...

859
00:44:46,708 --> 00:44:48,458
If you wanna make a record, find the time.

860
00:44:48,541 --> 00:44:51,125
I ain't playing with you.
I could walk out of here right now.

861
00:44:51,208 --> 00:44:53,458
Go back to my tour.
I don't need to go through all this.

862
00:44:53,541 --> 00:44:55,916
Go get the boy a microphone.

863
00:45:01,625 --> 00:45:04,208
Levee, I know you had something
to do with this. Watch yourself.

864
00:45:04,291 --> 00:45:05,291
It was Cutler.

865
00:45:05,375 --> 00:45:08,250
It was you.
You the only oneâ¦ [stuttering]

866
00:45:08,333 --> 00:45:09,958
The boy stutter. He can't do the part.

867
00:45:10,041 --> 00:45:11,541
Can or can't, he gonna do it.

868
00:45:11,625 --> 00:45:13,791
- You ain't got nothing to do with it.
- I don't care.

869
00:45:13,875 --> 00:45:17,083
- He can sing the whole song.
- Well, all right. Thank you.

870
00:45:17,166 --> 00:45:19,125
He's only getting one chance.
The cost of this...

871
00:45:19,208 --> 00:45:21,750
Damn the cost.
You always talking about the cost.

872
00:45:21,833 --> 00:45:24,713
I make more money for this outfit
than anybody else you got put together.

873
00:45:24,791 --> 00:45:27,416
If he mess up,
he'll do it till he get it right.

874
00:45:30,875 --> 00:45:33,291
Come on, baby. Come on. Come.

875
00:45:33,916 --> 00:45:37,416
Stand right there. Hold your hands
like I told you to. Okay. Come on.

876
00:45:38,625 --> 00:45:40,541
All right. Don't worry about messing up.

877
00:45:40,625 --> 00:45:42,708
You mess up,
we'll do it till you get it right.

878
00:45:42,791 --> 00:45:44,958
All right. Play it for him, Cutler.

879
00:45:45,041 --> 00:45:45,999
All right.

880
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,583
One, two, you know what to do.

881
00:45:51,375 --> 00:45:52,375
All right, boys,

882
00:45:53,208 --> 00:45:57,041
[stuttering] you done seen the best.

883
00:45:57,833 --> 00:45:59,125
Now I'm gonna show you the rest.

884
00:45:59,750 --> 00:46:03,666
Ma Rainey's gonna
show you her bâ¦ bâ¦ bâ¦

885
00:46:03,750 --> 00:46:06,041
black bâ¦ bottom.

886
00:46:06,583 --> 00:46:10,000
That's real good, baby.
You take your time. You'll get it right.

887
00:46:10,083 --> 00:46:12,083
[Irvin] Okay, Ma. We're ready to go.

888
00:46:12,166 --> 00:46:14,875
- Where's my Coke?
- "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," boys.

889
00:46:14,958 --> 00:46:18,750
Where's my Coke? I need a Coke.
Hot as it is. Shit. I need a Coke.

890
00:46:18,833 --> 00:46:19,832
What's the matter, Ma?

891
00:46:19,833 --> 00:46:21,916
Where's my Coke? I need a cold Coca-Cola.

892
00:46:22,458 --> 00:46:23,833
Uh, Ma, lookâ¦

893
00:46:24,875 --> 00:46:26,125
I forgot the Coke.

894
00:46:26,708 --> 00:46:29,416
Let's do it without it, huh?
Just this one song. What say, boys?

895
00:46:29,500 --> 00:46:33,083
Damn what the band say. You supposed
to have my Coca-Cola. You knew that.

896
00:46:33,166 --> 00:46:34,846
I ain't doing nothing
without my Coca-Cola.

897
00:46:35,416 --> 00:46:36,936
- Shit.
- [Mel] Just a minute here, Ma.

898
00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:38,375
You come in an hour late...

899
00:46:38,458 --> 00:46:40,958
Get out my face.
Irvin, I told you keep him away from me.

900
00:46:41,041 --> 00:46:43,124
I'm tired of her nonsense.
I'm not gonna put up with this.

901
00:46:43,125 --> 00:46:45,000
Let me. Ma, listen.

902
00:46:45,083 --> 00:46:48,375
I'll call down to the deli
and get you a Coke. But let's get started.

903
00:46:48,458 --> 00:46:51,291
Sylvester's standing there ready to go,
the band's all set up.

904
00:46:51,375 --> 00:46:52,833
Let's do this one song.

905
00:46:52,916 --> 00:46:55,000
Too cheap to buy me a Coca-Cola.
I'll buy my own.

906
00:46:55,083 --> 00:46:57,083
Slow Drag, Sylvester. Go on, baby.

907
00:46:57,166 --> 00:47:01,125
Get me three bottles of Coca-Cola,
ice cold. Get y'all something too.

908
00:47:01,208 --> 00:47:02,448
- Keep the change.
- Yes, ma'am.

909
00:47:03,208 --> 00:47:04,958
Irvin, get away from me. Shit.

910
00:47:05,041 --> 00:47:07,458
You can wait till I get my Coca-Cola.
Ain't gonna kill you.

911
00:47:07,541 --> 00:47:09,958
Okay, Ma. Get your Coke.

912
00:47:10,041 --> 00:47:11,500
Gentlemen, the band room.

913
00:47:12,083 --> 00:47:14,166
Christ sakes, get your Coke.

914
00:47:18,708 --> 00:47:19,875
Cutler.

915
00:47:21,500 --> 00:47:23,208
Come here a minute. I need to talk to you.

916
00:47:28,416 --> 00:47:30,125
[horns honking]

917
00:47:34,291 --> 00:47:36,375
- [bell dinging]
- [indistinct chatter]

918
00:47:36,458 --> 00:47:37,875
[chatter stops]

919
00:47:41,916 --> 00:47:45,125
What's all this shit about
"the boys in the band said"?

920
00:47:45,208 --> 00:47:47,166
I tells you what to do.

921
00:47:47,250 --> 00:47:50,625
I says what the matter is with the band.
I say who can and can't do what.

922
00:47:50,708 --> 00:47:52,250
We just say 'cause the boy stutter.

923
00:47:52,333 --> 00:47:54,416
I know he stutters.
Don't you think I know?

924
00:47:54,500 --> 00:47:55,833
This is what gonna help him.

925
00:47:55,916 --> 00:47:57,166
We thought it'd be easier...

926
00:47:57,250 --> 00:47:58,999
He gonna do the part. I don't
wanna hear any more of this shit

927
00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:01,000
about what the boys in the band says.

928
00:48:05,916 --> 00:48:09,625
And I want you to find somebody
to replace Levee when we get to Memphis.

929
00:48:09,708 --> 00:48:11,333
Levee ain't nothing but trouble.

930
00:48:11,416 --> 00:48:12,666
Levee all right.

931
00:48:12,750 --> 00:48:15,250
He plays good music
when he puts his mind to it.

932
00:48:15,333 --> 00:48:17,500
- He know how to write music too.
- I don't care.

933
00:48:17,583 --> 00:48:18,707
He ain't nothing but bad news.

934
00:48:18,708 --> 00:48:21,166
Find somebody else.
He the ringtail leader.

935
00:48:21,250 --> 00:48:23,666
I know it was his idea
who to say who can do what.

936
00:48:23,750 --> 00:48:27,208
Dussie Mae! Sit your ass down
and stop flaunting yourself around.

937
00:48:27,291 --> 00:48:28,375
I ain't doing nothing.

938
00:48:28,458 --> 00:48:30,583
Just go somewhere and stay out of the way.

939
00:48:38,333 --> 00:48:39,333
[door shuts]

940
00:48:45,708 --> 00:48:48,541
[humming]

941
00:48:48,625 --> 00:48:51,458
âª You can slide across the floor âª

942
00:48:51,541 --> 00:48:54,916
âª You'll never have to stall
My jelly roll âª

943
00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:59,833
âª Oh, my jelly roll
My jelly roll âª

944
00:48:59,916 --> 00:49:02,833
Hi. I just wanted to see
what it look like down here.

945
00:49:03,625 --> 00:49:04,958
Well, come on in.

946
00:49:05,791 --> 00:49:06,791
I don't bite.

947
00:49:09,125 --> 00:49:10,565
I didn't know you could write music.

948
00:49:10,625 --> 00:49:13,416
I just thought you was
jiving me at the club last night.

949
00:49:13,500 --> 00:49:15,666
No, baby. I knows how to write music.

950
00:49:15,750 --> 00:49:18,000
I done give some
of my songs to Mr. Sturdyvant.

951
00:49:18,083 --> 00:49:19,583
He say he gonna let me record 'em.

952
00:49:19,666 --> 00:49:21,375
I'm gonna have my own band.

953
00:49:21,458 --> 00:49:25,541
Hey, Toledo. Ain't I give
Mr. Sturdyvant some of my songs I wrote?

954
00:49:26,125 --> 00:49:27,916
Don't get Toledo mixed up in nothing.

955
00:49:29,708 --> 00:49:31,666
You gonna have your own band, sure enough?

956
00:49:32,250 --> 00:49:36,333
- Levee Green and his Footstompers.
- [giggles]

957
00:49:36,416 --> 00:49:39,791
A man what's gonna get his own band
need to have a woman like you.

958
00:49:39,875 --> 00:49:43,166
A woman like me need a man
to bring it and put it in my hand.

959
00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:45,665
I don't need nobody
getting something for nothing

960
00:49:45,666 --> 00:49:47,458
and leave me standing in my door.

961
00:49:47,541 --> 00:49:51,041
That ain't Levee's style, sugar.
I knows how to treat a woman.

962
00:49:51,625 --> 00:49:54,625
Buy her presents and things.
Treat her like she want to be treated.

963
00:49:54,708 --> 00:49:57,833
That's what they all say till
it come time to be buying the presents.

964
00:49:57,916 --> 00:50:01,625
When we get down to Memphis,
I'm gonna take you out,

965
00:50:01,708 --> 00:50:03,375
show you a good time.

966
00:50:04,208 --> 00:50:06,291
Show you Levee know how to treat a woman.

967
00:50:12,000 --> 00:50:13,000
Ma.

968
00:50:14,750 --> 00:50:18,916
This "Moonshine Blues," that's one of them
songs that Bessie Smith sangs, I believe.

969
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:20,000
Bessie what?

970
00:50:20,500 --> 00:50:21,791
I ain't thinking about Bessie.

971
00:50:22,333 --> 00:50:24,973
Shit. I taught Bessie. Bessie ain't
doing nothing but imitating me.

972
00:50:25,041 --> 00:50:28,166
What I care about Bessie?
I don't care if she sell a million record.

973
00:50:28,250 --> 00:50:31,250
She got her people. I got mine.
I don't care what nobody else do.

974
00:50:31,333 --> 00:50:33,000
Ma was the first. Don't you forget it.

975
00:50:33,083 --> 00:50:34,483
Nobody said nothing about all that.

976
00:50:34,500 --> 00:50:36,624
- I'm saying that's the song she sang.
- I've been doing this a long time.

977
00:50:36,625 --> 00:50:39,666
Ever since I was a little girl.
I don't care what nobody else do.

978
00:50:39,750 --> 00:50:42,250
Shoot. That's what
get me so mad with Irvin.

979
00:50:43,583 --> 00:50:45,457
White folks try to be
put out with you all the time.

980
00:50:45,458 --> 00:50:47,750
Too cheap to buy you a damn Coca-Cola.

981
00:50:47,833 --> 00:50:50,291
I lets them know it, though.
Ma don't stand for no shit.

982
00:50:51,041 --> 00:50:52,083
Shoot.

983
00:50:52,166 --> 00:50:55,166
They wanna take your voice
and trap it in all them fancy boxes

984
00:50:55,250 --> 00:50:59,666
with all them buttons and dials,
and then too cheap to buy you a Coca-Cola.

985
00:51:00,250 --> 00:51:02,166
Don't cost but a nickel a bottle.

986
00:51:04,791 --> 00:51:05,791
[door slams shut]

987
00:51:06,833 --> 00:51:08,791
They don't care nothing about me.

988
00:51:11,958 --> 00:51:15,083
All they want is my voice.

989
00:51:18,750 --> 00:51:20,083
Well, I done learned that.

990
00:51:22,125 --> 00:51:24,208
And they gonna treat me
the way I want to be treated

991
00:51:24,291 --> 00:51:25,916
no matter how much it hurt 'em.

992
00:51:29,666 --> 00:51:32,500
They back there right now
calling me all kinds of names.

993
00:51:32,583 --> 00:51:34,541
Calling me everything but a child of God.

994
00:51:35,166 --> 00:51:38,541
But they can't do nothing else 'cause
they ain't got what they wanted yet.

995
00:51:39,375 --> 00:51:43,000
As soon as they get my voice down
on one them recording machines,

996
00:51:43,750 --> 00:51:48,291
then it's just like I'd be some whore
and they roll over and put their pants on.

997
00:51:48,375 --> 00:51:50,125
They ain't got no use for me then.

998
00:51:52,000 --> 00:51:54,083
I know what I'm talking about. You watch.

999
00:51:54,791 --> 00:51:57,500
And Irvin,
he right there with the rest of them.

1000
00:51:57,583 --> 00:51:59,333
He don't care nothing about me either.

1001
00:52:00,041 --> 00:52:03,250
He's been my manager for six years,
and the only time he had me over his house

1002
00:52:03,333 --> 00:52:05,083
was to sing for some of his white friends.

1003
00:52:05,166 --> 00:52:07,000
Huh. I know how they do.

1004
00:52:07,083 --> 00:52:09,666
Yeah. Shit, you colored
and you can make 'em some money,

1005
00:52:09,750 --> 00:52:14,041
then you all right with them,
otherwise you just a dog in the alley.

1006
00:52:14,958 --> 00:52:16,666
I done made them
more money from my records

1007
00:52:16,750 --> 00:52:19,208
than all them other
recording artists they got put together,

1008
00:52:19,291 --> 00:52:23,125
and then they wanna balk about
how much this session is costing them.

1009
00:52:23,208 --> 00:52:25,375
I can't see how
it's costing as much as they say.

1010
00:52:25,458 --> 00:52:28,208
Shit, it ain't.
I don't pay that kind of talk no mind.

1011
00:52:32,250 --> 00:52:35,000
- I already got my fellas picked out.
- Mmm-hmm.

1012
00:52:35,083 --> 00:52:39,208
I'm getting me some good fellas.
Know how to play real sweet music.

1013
00:52:39,291 --> 00:52:42,583
You get your own band,
we'll see about this stuff you talking.

1014
00:52:43,208 --> 00:52:45,916
I just wanna show you
I knows what the womens like.

1015
00:52:46,000 --> 00:52:48,875
They don't call me
Sweet Lemonade for nothing.

1016
00:52:48,958 --> 00:52:50,666
Stop it now. Somebody gonna come in here.

1017
00:52:50,750 --> 00:52:51,750
No, they ain't.

1018
00:52:53,166 --> 00:52:54,166
Look here, sugar.

1019
00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:56,666
What I wants to know is,

1020
00:52:57,416 --> 00:53:02,250
can I introduce
my red rooster to your brown hen.

1021
00:53:09,208 --> 00:53:13,000
You get your own band and we'll see
if your red rooster know how to crow.

1022
00:53:13,083 --> 00:53:15,625
- [Dussie Mae giggling]
- [Levee whoops]

1023
00:53:15,708 --> 00:53:17,333
[Levee moaning]

1024
00:53:19,333 --> 00:53:20,666
[Dussie Mae laughing]

1025
00:53:21,708 --> 00:53:24,250
[Levee] Mmm. Damn, baby.

1026
00:53:24,333 --> 00:53:27,166
Now I know
why my grandpappy sat on the front porch

1027
00:53:27,250 --> 00:53:30,375
with a straight razor
when my grandma hung out the wash.

1028
00:53:30,458 --> 00:53:32,000
You crazy!

1029
00:53:32,083 --> 00:53:34,250
- [Dussie Mae laughing]
- [Levee] Whoo!

1030
00:53:36,958 --> 00:53:40,958
I bet you sound like
the midnight train to Alabama

1031
00:53:41,041 --> 00:53:43,625
when it crosses the Mason-Dixon Line.

1032
00:53:43,708 --> 00:53:44,750
[moans]

1033
00:53:47,833 --> 00:53:50,083
[Dussie Mae] How you get so crazy?

1034
00:53:50,166 --> 00:53:53,333
It's women like you that drive me soâ¦

1035
00:53:54,958 --> 00:53:56,666
- Good God.
- [laughing]

1036
00:53:57,250 --> 00:53:59,833
Happy birthday to the lady with the cakes.

1037
00:54:00,416 --> 00:54:02,875
[discordant notes play on piano]

1038
00:54:02,958 --> 00:54:04,416
[Dussie Mae moaning]

1039
00:54:04,500 --> 00:54:06,375
[both laugh]

1040
00:54:13,208 --> 00:54:15,000
Sure done got quiet in here.

1041
00:54:19,125 --> 00:54:21,208
I never could stand no silence.

1042
00:54:22,333 --> 00:54:25,458
I always got to have some music
going on in my head somewhere.

1043
00:54:26,250 --> 00:54:27,875
It keeps things balanced.

1044
00:54:27,958 --> 00:54:30,125
Music will do that. It fills things up.

1045
00:54:31,458 --> 00:54:34,875
The more music you have
in the world, the fuller it is.

1046
00:54:34,958 --> 00:54:37,916
I can agree with that.
I got to have my music too.

1047
00:54:38,541 --> 00:54:40,875
White folk
don't understand about the blues.

1048
00:54:41,875 --> 00:54:44,541
They hear it come out,
but they don't know how it got there.

1049
00:54:46,208 --> 00:54:49,041
They don't understand
that that's life's way of talking.

1050
00:54:50,208 --> 00:54:51,750
You don't sing to feel better.

1051
00:54:52,625 --> 00:54:55,500
You sing 'cause
that's a way of understanding life.

1052
00:54:57,750 --> 00:55:00,208
The blues help you
get out of bed in the morning.

1053
00:55:02,041 --> 00:55:04,250
You get up knowing you ain't alone.

1054
00:55:05,958 --> 00:55:07,791
There's something else in the world.

1055
00:55:09,208 --> 00:55:12,666
Something's been added by that song.

1056
00:55:15,458 --> 00:55:16,458
Mmm.

1057
00:55:19,541 --> 00:55:22,125
This be an empty world without the blues.

1058
00:55:22,208 --> 00:55:23,541
[both laugh]

1059
00:55:24,333 --> 00:55:25,249
Yeah.

1060
00:55:25,250 --> 00:55:28,708
I try to take that emptiness
and fill it up with something.

1061
00:55:29,500 --> 00:55:31,125
Ooh! [chuckles]

1062
00:55:33,833 --> 00:55:37,208
I ain't started blues way of singing.
Blues always been there.

1063
00:55:37,291 --> 00:55:39,082
But if they wanna
call me the Mother of Blues,

1064
00:55:39,083 --> 00:55:41,208
that's all right with me.
It don't hurt none.

1065
00:55:41,291 --> 00:55:42,625
[both laugh]

1066
00:55:43,708 --> 00:55:46,500
Sure did take y'all a long time.
Sylvester, get Irvin.

1067
00:55:46,583 --> 00:55:47,708
Tell him we ready to go.

1068
00:55:47,791 --> 00:55:48,791
I'll grab Levee.

1069
00:55:53,041 --> 00:55:54,208
[Dussie Mae moans]

1070
00:55:54,291 --> 00:55:56,666
[Levee exhales]

1071
00:55:59,083 --> 00:56:00,083
[Levee] Ahâ¦

1072
00:56:05,541 --> 00:56:07,250
[knocking at door]

1073
00:56:07,333 --> 00:56:09,708
Ma got her Coke, Levee.
We about ready to start.

1074
00:56:09,791 --> 00:56:11,874
- [Levee whispers] Get this off me.
- [Dussie Mae] Okay.

1075
00:56:11,875 --> 00:56:15,833
- [Levee whispers] Okay, gotta go.
- [Dussie Mae whispers] Just go!

1076
00:56:15,916 --> 00:56:17,750
[Ma Rainey sipping loudly]

1077
00:56:30,041 --> 00:56:33,583
Okay, boys.
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," take one.

1078
00:56:34,916 --> 00:56:37,625
Two, you know what to do.

1079
00:56:38,208 --> 00:56:40,041
[blues music playing]

1080
00:56:40,125 --> 00:56:45,250
All right, boys,
youâ¦ youâ¦ dâ¦ doneâ¦

1081
00:56:48,208 --> 00:56:49,333
Take two.

1082
00:56:50,125 --> 00:56:51,208
All right, boys,

1083
00:56:51,291 --> 00:56:54,458
you done seen the rest.
Now I'm gonna show you the best.

1084
00:56:54,541 --> 00:56:58,208
Ma Rainey's gonna show you herâ¦
Bâ¦ Bâ¦ Bâ¦

1085
00:57:01,875 --> 00:57:03,000
Takeâ¦

1086
00:57:05,250 --> 00:57:06,250
[Ma Rainey] Hmm.

1087
00:57:07,166 --> 00:57:08,166
[sips loudly]

1088
00:57:12,416 --> 00:57:15,208
Ma, can we just do it without theâ¦

1089
00:57:17,375 --> 00:57:18,458
Take six.

1090
00:57:22,875 --> 00:57:23,875
[yawns]

1091
00:57:26,375 --> 00:57:27,500
Take seven.

1092
00:57:29,708 --> 00:57:30,791
[blues music playing]

1093
00:57:30,875 --> 00:57:31,916
All right, boys,

1094
00:57:32,625 --> 00:57:36,000
you done seen the rest.
Now I'm gonna show you the best.

1095
00:57:36,708 --> 00:57:38,958
Ma Rainey's
gonna show you her black bottom.

1096
00:57:39,583 --> 00:57:42,875
âª Way down South in Alabamy âª

1097
00:57:44,250 --> 00:57:47,541
âª I got a friend they call Dancin' Sammy âª

1098
00:57:48,791 --> 00:57:52,416
âª Who's crazy
About all the latest dances âª

1099
00:57:53,041 --> 00:57:57,333
âª Black bottom stomps
And the new baby prances âª

1100
00:57:57,416 --> 00:58:01,833
âª The other night at a swell affair âª

1101
00:58:02,416 --> 00:58:05,916
âª Soon as the boys
Found out that I was there âª

1102
00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:10,541
âª They said, "Come on, Ma
Let's go to the cabaret" âª

1103
00:58:11,625 --> 00:58:15,208
âª When I got there, they began to say âª

1104
00:58:16,250 --> 00:58:19,916
âª "I wanna see that dance
They call the black bottom" âª

1105
00:58:20,958 --> 00:58:23,083
âª "I wanna learn that dance" âª

1106
00:58:24,916 --> 00:58:29,458
âª "Wanna see the dance
They call your big black bottom" âª

1107
00:58:30,166 --> 00:58:32,833
âª It'll put you in a trance âª

1108
00:58:34,500 --> 00:58:38,166
âª All the boys in the neighborhood âª

1109
00:58:38,250 --> 00:58:42,958
âª They say
"Your black bottom is really good" âª

1110
00:58:44,250 --> 00:58:48,041
âª "Come on and show me
Your black bottom" âª

1111
00:58:48,958 --> 00:58:52,208
âª "I wanna learn that dance" âª

1112
00:58:53,583 --> 00:58:57,583
âª I wanna see the dance
They call the black bottom âª

1113
00:58:58,416 --> 00:59:01,041
âª I wanna learn that dance âª

1114
00:59:02,750 --> 00:59:07,750
âª Wanna see you do the dance
You call your big black bottom âª

1115
00:59:07,833 --> 00:59:10,666
âª It'll put you in a trance âª

1116
00:59:12,208 --> 00:59:15,958
âª Early one morning
'Bout the break of day âª

1117
00:59:17,208 --> 00:59:21,041
âª Grandpa told Grandma, I heard him say âª

1118
00:59:21,916 --> 00:59:25,916
âª "Get on up and show your old man
Your black bottom" âª

1119
00:59:26,416 --> 00:59:30,416
âª I wanna learn that dance
Yes, sir âª

1120
00:59:31,500 --> 00:59:34,833
âª I wanna learn that dance âª

1121
00:59:38,583 --> 00:59:41,625
Okay, that's good, Ma.
That sounded great. Good job, boys.

1122
00:59:41,708 --> 00:59:43,625
- See? I told you you could do it!
- [laughs]

1123
00:59:43,708 --> 00:59:45,707
- [Cutler] He did good.
- All you gotta do is set your mind to it.

1124
00:59:45,708 --> 00:59:47,332
- He did better than I thought he would.
- My baby.

1125
00:59:47,333 --> 00:59:51,208
- Mwah. That's my baby.
- Hey, boy. Hey, boys, Ma.

1126
00:59:51,291 --> 00:59:55,416
- Yeah!
- Hey, let's do "Moonshine Blues" next?

1127
00:59:56,083 --> 00:59:57,125
"Moonshine Blues," boys.

1128
00:59:57,208 --> 01:00:00,958
Irv? Something happened
with the recording. Check that mic.

1129
01:00:01,500 --> 01:00:03,583
One, one, one, two, check, one...

1130
01:00:03,666 --> 01:00:05,375
No. The problem's with the kid's mic.

1131
01:00:06,791 --> 01:00:08,666
Oh, Christ Almighty!

1132
01:00:09,250 --> 01:00:11,000
- Ma, we didn't record the song.
- Shit!

1133
01:00:11,083 --> 01:00:12,707
What you mean you didn't record the song?

1134
01:00:12,708 --> 01:00:14,290
What were you
and Sturdyvant doing up there?

1135
01:00:14,291 --> 01:00:15,624
[Irvin] Levee must have
kicked the plug out.

1136
01:00:15,625 --> 01:00:16,624
I ain't kicked nothing.

1137
01:00:16,625 --> 01:00:18,333
If Levee had his mind
on what he was doing.

1138
01:00:18,416 --> 01:00:21,250
If it ain't one thing, it's another.
Straighten your black ass out.

1139
01:00:21,333 --> 01:00:23,208
Hell, it ain't my fault.
I ain't done nothing.

1140
01:00:23,291 --> 01:00:24,333
It's the cord, Mel.

1141
01:00:24,416 --> 01:00:26,333
The cord's all chewed up.
We need another cord.

1142
01:00:26,416 --> 01:00:28,041
- The most disorganizedâ¦
- [Irvin] Ma?

1143
01:00:28,125 --> 01:00:29,624
- [Ma Rainey] Waste of my time.
- Where's she going?

1144
01:00:29,625 --> 01:00:31,083
- Shit.
- [Irvin] Ma? Ma!

1145
01:00:31,666 --> 01:00:32,582
Ma?

1146
01:00:32,583 --> 01:00:35,458
If you walk out of this studio,
you're through. You're washed-up.

1147
01:00:35,541 --> 01:00:37,291
Chrissakes, Mel! Ma!

1148
01:00:37,375 --> 01:00:40,250
Ma, come back here! Ma, please!

1149
01:00:43,083 --> 01:00:44,083
Listen, Ma.

1150
01:00:45,125 --> 01:00:46,833
These records are gonna be hits.

1151
01:00:47,541 --> 01:00:49,458
They are gonna sell like crazy.

1152
01:00:49,541 --> 01:00:51,416
Hell, even Sylvester will be a star.

1153
01:00:52,666 --> 01:00:53,833
Fifteen minutes.

1154
01:00:55,125 --> 01:00:58,583
That is all I am asking, Ma.
Just 15 minutes.

1155
01:01:03,333 --> 01:01:06,208
Fifteen minutes.
You hear me, Irvin? Fifteen minutes.

1156
01:01:06,291 --> 01:01:09,375
Then I'm gonna carry my black bottom
on back down to Georgia, you hear me?

1157
01:01:09,458 --> 01:01:11,208
Fifteen minutes. [scoffs]

1158
01:01:14,958 --> 01:01:17,166
[exhales] You boys go ahead
and take a break.

1159
01:01:17,250 --> 01:01:19,541
Fifteen minutes. We'll be ready to go.

1160
01:01:20,500 --> 01:01:22,333
Don't make
no difference to me if she leave.

1161
01:01:22,416 --> 01:01:24,375
I'm ready to get on outta here, anyway.

1162
01:01:24,458 --> 01:01:25,583
If I was Mr. Irvin,

1163
01:01:25,666 --> 01:01:28,458
I'd go on and get them cords
and things hooked up right.

1164
01:01:28,541 --> 01:01:31,333
If Levee kept his mind on his work,
we wouldn't be in this fix.

1165
01:01:31,416 --> 01:01:32,625
We'd be up there finishing up.

1166
01:01:32,708 --> 01:01:35,041
Now we gotta see
if that boy can get that part right.

1167
01:01:35,125 --> 01:01:37,375
He got one eye on the gal
and the other on his trumpet.

1168
01:01:37,458 --> 01:01:39,207
[Cutler] Nigga,
don't you know that's Ma's gal?

1169
01:01:39,208 --> 01:01:42,208
I ain't done nothing to her. I just
talk to her like I talk to anybody else.

1170
01:01:42,291 --> 01:01:44,832
Your ass gonna be out there
scraping the concrete, lookin' for a job,

1171
01:01:44,833 --> 01:01:45,874
you keep messing around with her.

1172
01:01:45,875 --> 01:01:48,583
I ain't done nothing to the gal.
I just asked her her name.

1173
01:01:48,666 --> 01:01:51,066
If you sayin' I can't do that,
Ma'll just have to go to hell.

1174
01:01:51,083 --> 01:01:53,708
I'm through with it. [scoffs]
Try talking to a fool.

1175
01:01:53,791 --> 01:01:57,666
Some mens got it worse than others.
Some mens is excited to be a fool.

1176
01:01:57,750 --> 01:01:59,375
[chuckles]

1177
01:01:59,458 --> 01:02:02,083
I knows about it.
The excitement is something else.

1178
01:02:02,166 --> 01:02:05,875
I done experienced it.
Make you feel good to be a fool.

1179
01:02:06,458 --> 01:02:07,791
But it don't last long.

1180
01:02:07,875 --> 01:02:11,083
Over in a minute, then you
got to tend with the consequences.

1181
01:02:11,166 --> 01:02:14,541
That's the best sense you made all day,
talking about being a fool.

1182
01:02:14,625 --> 01:02:17,833
That's the only sensible thing
you said today, admitting you was a fool.

1183
01:02:17,916 --> 01:02:21,375
Oh, I admits it, all right.
Ain't nothing wrong with it.

1184
01:02:21,458 --> 01:02:24,375
I done been
a little bit of everything. [chuckles]

1185
01:02:24,458 --> 01:02:27,166
Gonna be a bit more things
before I'm finished with it.

1186
01:02:27,250 --> 01:02:29,375
But I ain't never been
the same fool twice.

1187
01:02:29,458 --> 01:02:30,791
That's where we part ways.

1188
01:02:30,875 --> 01:02:33,208
But you been a fool. That's what counts.

1189
01:02:33,291 --> 01:02:35,416
Talking about I'm a fool
for asking the girl her name,

1190
01:02:35,500 --> 01:02:37,125
and here you is one yourself.

1191
01:02:37,208 --> 01:02:39,000
I married a woman. A good woman.

1192
01:02:39,083 --> 01:02:42,125
To this day,
I can't say nothing bad about this woman.

1193
01:02:42,208 --> 01:02:45,583
I married her with all the good intentions
and graces of being hooked up,

1194
01:02:45,666 --> 01:02:47,875
bound to her for the rest of my life.

1195
01:02:47,958 --> 01:02:49,833
Looking for this woman
to put me in my grave,

1196
01:02:50,416 --> 01:02:52,666
but she went out and joined the church.

1197
01:02:54,000 --> 01:02:58,625
She got up there
and got to seeing them good Christian men

1198
01:02:58,708 --> 01:03:00,791
and wondering why I ain't like that.

1199
01:03:01,375 --> 01:03:04,125
Soon she figured
she hooked up to a heathen.

1200
01:03:04,208 --> 01:03:05,500
Couldn't live like that.

1201
01:03:06,750 --> 01:03:07,750
So she left.

1202
01:03:08,500 --> 01:03:09,625
Hmm.

1203
01:03:09,708 --> 01:03:14,416
I just sat down and I figured I was a fool

1204
01:03:14,500 --> 01:03:18,000
not to see that she needed
something that I wasn't giving her,

1205
01:03:18,083 --> 01:03:20,416
else she wouldn't have been
up there at the church.

1206
01:03:21,000 --> 01:03:22,000
So, yeahâ¦

1207
01:03:22,833 --> 01:03:25,041
Toledo been a fool about a woman.

1208
01:03:26,416 --> 01:03:27,791
That's part of making life.

1209
01:03:28,958 --> 01:03:31,041
Toledo, what you call a fool

1210
01:03:31,125 --> 01:03:33,416
and what I call a fool
are two different things.

1211
01:03:33,500 --> 01:03:37,666
A fool is responsible
for what happen to him.

1212
01:03:37,750 --> 01:03:40,291
A fool cause it to happen. Like Levee.

1213
01:03:40,791 --> 01:03:44,583
He keep messing around with Ma's gal,
his feet be out there scraping the ground.

1214
01:03:44,666 --> 01:03:46,750
- That's a fool.
- Nothing gonna happen to Levee.

1215
01:03:46,833 --> 01:03:48,499
Levee ain't gonna let
nothing happen to him.

1216
01:03:48,500 --> 01:03:51,457
Better not let Ma see you ask her.
That's what the man's trying to tell you.

1217
01:03:51,458 --> 01:03:53,208
I don't need nobody to tell me nothing.

1218
01:03:53,291 --> 01:03:55,958
Toledo, all I'm saying is,
from the looks of it,

1219
01:03:56,041 --> 01:03:58,375
from your story,
I don't think life treated you fair.

1220
01:03:58,458 --> 01:03:59,750
Oh, life's fair.

1221
01:03:59,833 --> 01:04:00,958
Life ain't shit.

1222
01:04:01,041 --> 01:04:03,290
You can put it in a paper bag
and carry it around with you.

1223
01:04:03,291 --> 01:04:05,500
- It ain't got no balls.
- [door clangs]

1224
01:04:05,583 --> 01:04:08,333
Now death? Death got some style.

1225
01:04:08,416 --> 01:04:11,000
Death will kick your ass
and make you wish you never been born.

1226
01:04:11,083 --> 01:04:12,500
That's how bad death is.

1227
01:04:12,583 --> 01:04:14,791
But you can rule over life.
Life ain't nothing.

1228
01:04:14,875 --> 01:04:17,625
Nigga talking about life is fair
and ain't got a pot to piss in.

1229
01:04:17,708 --> 01:04:19,708
All right.
Now I'm gonna tell you something.

1230
01:04:19,791 --> 01:04:22,166
A nigga gonna be dissatisfied
no matter what.

1231
01:04:22,250 --> 01:04:24,250
Niggas got a right to be dissatisfied.

1232
01:04:24,333 --> 01:04:27,291
Is you gonna be satisfied
with a bone somebody done throwed you

1233
01:04:27,375 --> 01:04:29,458
when you done
seen them eating a whole hog?

1234
01:04:29,541 --> 01:04:32,625
You lucky they let you be an entertainer.
You're lucky and don't even know it.

1235
01:04:32,708 --> 01:04:36,458
I'm talking about being satisfied
with a bone somebody done throwed you.

1236
01:04:36,541 --> 01:04:40,125
That's what's the matter with y'all,
you're satisfied sitting in one place.

1237
01:04:40,208 --> 01:04:41,750
Soon as I get my band together

1238
01:04:41,833 --> 01:04:44,333
and record them songs
Mr. Sturdyvant done told me I can make,

1239
01:04:44,416 --> 01:04:47,500
I'm gonna be like Ma and tell
the white man just what he can do.

1240
01:04:48,083 --> 01:04:49,625
Ma tell Mr. Irvin she leaving?

1241
01:04:49,708 --> 01:04:53,125
Mr. Irvin get down on his knees
and beg her to stay.

1242
01:04:53,208 --> 01:04:56,333
That's the way I'm gonna be.
Make the white man respect me.

1243
01:04:56,416 --> 01:04:58,375
The white man don't care nothing about Ma.

1244
01:04:58,458 --> 01:05:00,625
The colored folks made Ma a star.

1245
01:05:00,708 --> 01:05:03,375
The white folks don't care
nothing about who she is

1246
01:05:03,458 --> 01:05:04,958
or what kind of music she make.

1247
01:05:05,041 --> 01:05:07,916
Let her go to one of them
white folks hotel and see how big she is.

1248
01:05:08,000 --> 01:05:10,666
[scoffs] Hell, she can't even
get a cab up here in the North.

1249
01:05:10,750 --> 01:05:13,083
I'mma tell you something. Reverend Gates.

1250
01:05:13,166 --> 01:05:15,500
Slow Drag, you know
who I'm talking about. Reverend Gates.

1251
01:05:15,583 --> 01:05:19,333
Reverend Gates was, uh, coming up
from Tallahassee to Atlanta

1252
01:05:19,416 --> 01:05:22,875
to see his sister who was sick
at that time with the consumption.

1253
01:05:23,708 --> 01:05:26,583
The train come up
through Thomasville, then past Moultrie,

1254
01:05:26,666 --> 01:05:29,083
and then ended up
in this little town called Sigsbee.

1255
01:05:29,166 --> 01:05:31,166
You can stop telling that right there.

1256
01:05:31,250 --> 01:05:35,166
Ain't but one train come out
of Tallahassee headed north to Atlanta.

1257
01:05:35,250 --> 01:05:36,458
It don't stop at Sigsbee.

1258
01:05:36,541 --> 01:05:38,875
The only train
that stop at Sigsbee is the Santa Fe,

1259
01:05:38,958 --> 01:05:40,624
and you gotta transfer
at Moultrie to get it.

1260
01:05:40,625 --> 01:05:42,291
Maybe that's what he done. I don't know.

1261
01:05:42,375 --> 01:05:44,458
I'm just telling you
he got off at Sigsbee.

1262
01:05:44,541 --> 01:05:47,208
You telling it.
Tell it your way. Just make up anything.

1263
01:05:47,291 --> 01:05:49,125
Leave him alone and let him finish.

1264
01:05:49,208 --> 01:05:50,708
Go on, tell it your way.

1265
01:05:50,791 --> 01:05:54,000
Reverend Gates
got off this train in Sigsbee.

1266
01:05:54,083 --> 01:05:55,458
Figured he'd check the schedule

1267
01:05:55,541 --> 01:05:59,333
to make sure he arrived in time
for somebody to pick him up. All right?

1268
01:05:59,416 --> 01:06:03,791
While he's there, it come upon him
that he had to go to the bathroom.

1269
01:06:03,875 --> 01:06:05,875
Now, the only colored restroom they had

1270
01:06:05,958 --> 01:06:09,791
was an outhouse they had sitting way back,
200 yards or so from the train station.

1271
01:06:10,541 --> 01:06:13,916
While he's in the outhouse,
the train go off and leave without him.

1272
01:06:14,541 --> 01:06:17,833
Now, he don't know
where he is in this town.

1273
01:06:17,916 --> 01:06:19,875
In fact,
he ain't never heard of it before.

1274
01:06:19,958 --> 01:06:22,083
I heard of it,
and he ain't got off no train

1275
01:06:22,166 --> 01:06:24,208
coming outta Tallahassee in Sigsbee.

1276
01:06:24,791 --> 01:06:28,125
The man's standing there
trying to figure out what he gonna do,

1277
01:06:28,208 --> 01:06:30,500
where this train
done left him in this strange town.

1278
01:06:32,416 --> 01:06:33,625
It started getting dark.

1279
01:06:34,333 --> 01:06:36,708
He sees
where the sun's getting low in the sky,

1280
01:06:36,791 --> 01:06:39,166
and he's trying
to figure out what he gonna do,

1281
01:06:39,250 --> 01:06:40,832
when he noticed a couple of white fellas

1282
01:06:40,833 --> 01:06:42,875
standing across the street
from the station.

1283
01:06:42,958 --> 01:06:44,875
Just standing there, watching him.

1284
01:06:46,000 --> 01:06:48,750
Then two or three more fellas
come up and join the other one.

1285
01:06:49,250 --> 01:06:53,250
Now he look around the station.
He don't see no colored folks nowhere.

1286
01:06:53,750 --> 01:06:55,665
He don't know
what's getting into these fellas' minds,

1287
01:06:55,666 --> 01:06:57,791
so he commence to walking.

1288
01:06:57,875 --> 01:07:01,000
He don't know where he walking.
He walking down the railroad tracks

1289
01:07:01,083 --> 01:07:03,416
when he hear, "Hey, nigger."

1290
01:07:04,833 --> 01:07:06,250
Just like that.

1291
01:07:07,041 --> 01:07:08,458
"Hey, nigger."

1292
01:07:10,041 --> 01:07:11,208
He keep walking.

1293
01:07:12,083 --> 01:07:15,125
They call him some more. He kept walking.

1294
01:07:16,291 --> 01:07:19,833
Then he heard a gunshot.
Yeah. He stopped then, you know.

1295
01:07:20,708 --> 01:07:21,916
They crowded around him.

1296
01:07:22,666 --> 01:07:23,791
He's standing there,

1297
01:07:24,583 --> 01:07:26,166
cross around his neck,

1298
01:07:26,250 --> 01:07:29,291
and the little Bible
that he keep with him all the time.

1299
01:07:30,458 --> 01:07:34,083
They ask who he was.
He said he was Reverend Gates

1300
01:07:34,166 --> 01:07:35,726
and he was on his way to see his sister

1301
01:07:35,750 --> 01:07:37,958
who was sick,
and the train went off and left him.

1302
01:07:38,041 --> 01:07:40,916
And they said, "Yeah, nigger?"

1303
01:07:41,500 --> 01:07:43,166
"But can you dance?"

1304
01:07:47,125 --> 01:07:48,416
He looked at them

1305
01:07:49,125 --> 01:07:50,583
and commenced to dancing.

1306
01:07:53,333 --> 01:07:56,416
One of them reached up
and tore his cross off his neck,

1307
01:07:56,500 --> 01:08:00,000
said he was committing heresy
by dancing with a cross and a Bible.

1308
01:08:02,375 --> 01:08:04,958
Took his Bible and tore it up,

1309
01:08:05,041 --> 01:08:07,833
and had him dancing
till they got tired of watching him.

1310
01:08:09,125 --> 01:08:13,708
- That's the only way that man...
- What I wants to know is, he a man of God.

1311
01:08:13,791 --> 01:08:16,416
Where the hell was God
when all this was going on?

1312
01:08:17,458 --> 01:08:19,458
Why didn't God strike down them crackers

1313
01:08:19,541 --> 01:08:21,666
with some of this lightning
you talking about to me?

1314
01:08:22,166 --> 01:08:23,958
Levee, you gonna burn in hell.

1315
01:08:24,041 --> 01:08:26,750
Why didn't God strike
some of them crackers down? Tell me that.

1316
01:08:26,833 --> 01:08:29,875
That's the question. Don't come
telling me this burning-in-hell shit.

1317
01:08:30,541 --> 01:08:31,958
He a man of God,

1318
01:08:32,041 --> 01:08:34,500
why didn't God
strike some of them crackers down?

1319
01:08:35,541 --> 01:08:38,666
I'll tell you why.
I'll tell you the truth.

1320
01:08:39,541 --> 01:08:41,875
God ain't never listened
to no nigga's prayers.

1321
01:08:41,958 --> 01:08:44,278
God take the nigga's prayers
and throw them in the garbage.

1322
01:08:44,333 --> 01:08:48,666
God don't pay niggas no mind.
In fact, God hate niggas.

1323
01:08:49,291 --> 01:08:51,583
Hate them with all the fury in his heart.

1324
01:08:51,666 --> 01:08:54,333
Jesus don't love you, nigga.
Jesus hate your black ass.

1325
01:08:54,416 --> 01:08:56,958
Come talking that shit to me.
Talking about burning in hell.

1326
01:08:57,041 --> 01:08:58,916
God can kiss my ass.

1327
01:08:59,000 --> 01:09:00,250
[grunts]

1328
01:09:00,333 --> 01:09:04,666
You wanna blaspheme my God!
That's my God! My God, you worthless...

1329
01:09:04,750 --> 01:09:06,125
Let him go!

1330
01:09:06,208 --> 01:09:07,416
- You worthless!
- Let him go!

1331
01:09:07,500 --> 01:09:10,541
- That's my God! Blaspheme my God.
- Let it go! It don't mean nothing!

1332
01:09:11,500 --> 01:09:13,000
It don't mean nothing!

1333
01:09:13,583 --> 01:09:16,125
It's your God, huh? Is that right?

1334
01:09:18,708 --> 01:09:21,083
All right,
I'm gonna give your God a chance.

1335
01:09:21,708 --> 01:09:23,583
I'm gonna give your God a chance.

1336
01:09:23,666 --> 01:09:25,916
I'm gonna give him
a chance to save your black ass.

1337
01:09:26,458 --> 01:09:28,916
- Put that knife up!
- Stay out of this, Toledo.

1338
01:09:29,000 --> 01:09:30,249
- That's no way to solve nothing.
- Put that knife up!

1339
01:09:30,250 --> 01:09:33,166
I'm talking to Cutler's God! You hear me?

1340
01:09:33,250 --> 01:09:36,500
Cutler's God! I'm calling Cutler's God!

1341
01:09:37,708 --> 01:09:39,291
Come on and save this nigga.

1342
01:09:39,875 --> 01:09:42,125
Strike me down before I cut his throat.

1343
01:09:42,208 --> 01:09:45,041
- You gonna burn in hell, nigga.
- I'm calling your God.

1344
01:09:45,666 --> 01:09:49,416
I'm gonna give him a chance
to save you. I'm calling your God!

1345
01:09:50,166 --> 01:09:51,416
Cutler's God?

1346
01:09:51,500 --> 01:09:53,375
Come on and save this nigga.

1347
01:09:54,208 --> 01:09:56,416
Come on and save him like you did my mama.

1348
01:09:57,750 --> 01:10:00,000
Save him like you did my mama!

1349
01:10:02,541 --> 01:10:04,375
I heard her when she call you.

1350
01:10:06,083 --> 01:10:10,750
I heard her when she said,
"Lord have mercy. Jesus help me."

1351
01:10:11,750 --> 01:10:15,375
"Please, God, have mercy on me, Lord.
Jesus help me."

1352
01:10:16,958 --> 01:10:18,708
Did you turn your back?

1353
01:10:21,541 --> 01:10:24,083
Did you turn your back, motherfucker?

1354
01:10:25,500 --> 01:10:27,125
Did you turn your back?

1355
01:10:29,166 --> 01:10:30,166
Come on.

1356
01:10:31,375 --> 01:10:33,375
Come on and turn your back on me.

1357
01:10:35,416 --> 01:10:37,166
Turn your back on me!

1358
01:10:38,291 --> 01:10:39,625
Come on. Where is you?

1359
01:10:41,208 --> 01:10:43,333
Come on and turn your back on me!

1360
01:10:44,791 --> 01:10:48,625
Turn your back on me, motherfucker!
I'll cut your heart out!

1361
01:10:49,791 --> 01:10:53,166
Come on. What's the matter? Where is you?

1362
01:10:54,125 --> 01:10:56,041
Come on and turn your back on me.

1363
01:10:57,041 --> 01:10:59,166
Come on, what you scared of?

1364
01:11:00,666 --> 01:11:04,500
Turn your back on me! Come on!

1365
01:11:06,416 --> 01:11:07,750
[scoffs]

1366
01:11:10,500 --> 01:11:12,333
Coward motherfucker!

1367
01:11:14,541 --> 01:11:17,125
[panting]

1368
01:11:17,208 --> 01:11:18,833
Your God ain't shit, Cutler.

1369
01:11:22,208 --> 01:11:23,625
Your God ain't shit.

1370
01:11:28,208 --> 01:11:29,291
[exhales]

1371
01:11:30,333 --> 01:11:31,958
[panting]

1372
01:11:36,916 --> 01:11:38,708
[trumpet playing]

1373
01:11:39,916 --> 01:11:44,041
âª Hello, central, give me 609 âª

1374
01:11:44,750 --> 01:11:48,250
âª What it takes to get it
In these hips of mine âª

1375
01:11:48,333 --> 01:11:51,000
âª Oh, you'll hear me talking to you âª

1376
01:11:51,583 --> 01:11:54,625
âª I don't bite my tongue âª

1377
01:11:56,958 --> 01:11:59,416
âª You wanna be my man âª

1378
01:11:59,500 --> 01:12:03,041
âª You better bring it with you
When you come âª

1379
01:12:06,375 --> 01:12:08,916
âª You wanna be my man âª

1380
01:12:09,000 --> 01:12:12,958
âª Bring it with you when you come âª

1381
01:12:23,916 --> 01:12:25,708
Wonderful. We got that, boys.

1382
01:12:25,791 --> 01:12:26,875
Whoo-hoo!

1383
01:12:26,958 --> 01:12:29,250
Good session, Ma.
We've got ourselves some winners!

1384
01:12:29,333 --> 01:12:31,333
Slow Drag,
where you learn to play that bass at?

1385
01:12:31,416 --> 01:12:33,250
I heard it singing. I heard you.

1386
01:12:33,333 --> 01:12:35,093
You had that bass
jumping all over the place.

1387
01:12:35,125 --> 01:12:36,291
I was following Toledo.

1388
01:12:36,375 --> 01:12:38,575
Nigga got them long fingers
striding all over the piano.

1389
01:12:38,583 --> 01:12:41,207
- I was trying to keep up with him.
- That's what you supposed to do.

1390
01:12:41,208 --> 01:12:42,999
- Play the music.
- Cutler, you hear Slow Drag

1391
01:12:43,000 --> 01:12:44,875
on that bass
spanking like you spank a baby?

1392
01:12:44,958 --> 01:12:46,666
- [spanks]
- Boom!

1393
01:12:47,291 --> 01:12:49,666
Levee, what were you doing?
Why you playing all them notes?

1394
01:12:49,750 --> 01:12:52,958
Playing ten notes for every one you
supposed to play. Don't call for all that.

1395
01:12:53,041 --> 01:12:55,582
You're supposed to improvise
on the theme. That's what I was doing.

1396
01:12:55,583 --> 01:12:57,463
You're supposed
to play the song like I sing it.

1397
01:12:57,500 --> 01:12:59,625
[chuckling] The way
everybody else play it.

1398
01:12:59,708 --> 01:13:01,666
I was playing the song the way I felt it.

1399
01:13:01,750 --> 01:13:04,791
I'm trying to sing my song
and you messing up my ear.

1400
01:13:04,875 --> 01:13:07,750
- You call that playing music?
- Hey, I know what I'm doing.

1401
01:13:08,583 --> 01:13:10,583
Y'all back up and leave me alone
about my music.

1402
01:13:10,666 --> 01:13:13,458
I done told you it ain't about your music.
It's about Ma's music.

1403
01:13:13,541 --> 01:13:15,040
That's all right. I told you what to do.

1404
01:13:15,041 --> 01:13:17,000
What I care about what you and Cutler do?

1405
01:13:21,333 --> 01:13:24,583
Y'all gonna fire me. I don't care.
I'll go get my own band anyway.

1406
01:13:24,666 --> 01:13:27,083
- You keep messing with me...
- Nobody studying you.

1407
01:13:27,166 --> 01:13:29,000
All right, nigga. You fired.

1408
01:13:35,041 --> 01:13:37,666
You think I care about being fired?
I don't care.

1409
01:13:37,750 --> 01:13:39,791
- You doing me a favor.
- Cutler, Levee's out.

1410
01:13:39,875 --> 01:13:43,000
- He ain't playing in my band no more.
- I'm fired? Good!

1411
01:13:43,083 --> 01:13:45,166
Best thing that ever happened to me.

1412
01:13:46,500 --> 01:13:48,250
I don't need this shit.

1413
01:13:54,083 --> 01:13:55,166
[door slams shut]

1414
01:14:03,791 --> 01:14:05,833
[breathing heavily]

1415
01:14:20,958 --> 01:14:22,500
[door rattling]

1416
01:14:23,125 --> 01:14:24,875
[grunting]

1417
01:14:27,875 --> 01:14:28,875
[grunts]

1418
01:14:31,791 --> 01:14:33,041
Okay.

1419
01:14:36,583 --> 01:14:38,208
[grunting]

1420
01:14:41,458 --> 01:14:43,000
[breathes deeply]

1421
01:14:44,541 --> 01:14:45,833
[grunts]

1422
01:14:53,375 --> 01:14:54,666
[exhales]

1423
01:14:56,916 --> 01:14:58,750
[breathes heavily]

1424
01:15:00,250 --> 01:15:01,791
[upbeat jazz music playing]

1425
01:15:12,833 --> 01:15:14,625
Mel will be out with your money
in a minute.

1426
01:15:14,708 --> 01:15:16,833
That's cash money. I don't want no check.

1427
01:15:17,375 --> 01:15:20,041
I'll see what I can do.
I can't promise you nothing.

1428
01:15:20,125 --> 01:15:22,625
As long as it ain't no check.
I ain't got no use for a check.

1429
01:15:22,708 --> 01:15:26,708
Listen, Ma.
I talked to Sturdyvant, and he saidâ¦

1430
01:15:26,791 --> 01:15:28,625
Now I tried to talk him out of it,

1431
01:15:28,708 --> 01:15:32,583
but he said the best he can do
is take $25 of your money

1432
01:15:32,666 --> 01:15:34,625
and give it to Sylvester.

1433
01:15:34,708 --> 01:15:36,166
Take what and do what?

1434
01:15:37,958 --> 01:15:41,583
If I wanted the boy to have
$25 of my money, I'd give it to him.

1435
01:15:42,791 --> 01:15:44,124
He's supposed to have his own money.

1436
01:15:44,125 --> 01:15:45,958
He's supposed to get paid
like everybody else.

1437
01:15:46,541 --> 01:15:48,666
You go on up there,
and you tell Sturdyvant

1438
01:15:48,750 --> 01:15:50,708
that he better pay the boy his own money.

1439
01:15:50,791 --> 01:15:53,416
- Yeah, I talked to him...
- [Ma Rainey] Talk to him again.

1440
01:15:53,500 --> 01:15:55,207
Tell him if he don't
pay the boy his own money,

1441
01:15:55,208 --> 01:15:57,958
he'll never make another record
of mine again. Tell him that.

1442
01:15:59,250 --> 01:16:02,166
You supposed to be my manager.
Always talking about sticking together.

1443
01:16:02,250 --> 01:16:03,333
Start sticking.

1444
01:16:06,250 --> 01:16:08,500
- Get the boy his money!
- Okay.

1445
01:16:09,208 --> 01:16:10,375
I'll see what I can do.

1446
01:16:14,458 --> 01:16:17,583
[door opens and shuts]

1447
01:16:22,208 --> 01:16:24,083
[breathing heavily]

1448
01:16:38,208 --> 01:16:39,375
[door opens]

1449
01:16:41,541 --> 01:16:42,666
Hey, Ma.

1450
01:16:44,000 --> 01:16:45,416
Is there something wrong?

1451
01:16:45,500 --> 01:16:46,750
Is there a problem?

1452
01:16:47,416 --> 01:16:49,541
I want you to pay the boy his money.

1453
01:16:49,625 --> 01:16:51,166
Sure, Ma. I got it right here.

1454
01:16:52,000 --> 01:16:55,208
It's, uh, 200 for you
and 25 for the kid, right?

1455
01:16:58,333 --> 01:16:59,500
Irvin misunderstood me.

1456
01:16:59,583 --> 01:17:01,708
It was all a mistake.
It was all a mistake.

1457
01:17:02,541 --> 01:17:05,125
- A mistake, huh?
- Sure, Ma. Made a mistake.

1458
01:17:05,791 --> 01:17:07,166
But he's paid, right?

1459
01:17:07,250 --> 01:17:08,541
The only mistakeâ¦

1460
01:17:09,541 --> 01:17:12,375
was when you found out
I hadn't signed the release forms.

1461
01:17:12,458 --> 01:17:13,541
That was a mistake.

1462
01:17:14,333 --> 01:17:16,208
Come on. Sign the forms, huh?

1463
01:17:16,291 --> 01:17:18,625
- Dussie Mae, Sylvester, come on.
- Ma, sign the forms.

1464
01:17:18,708 --> 01:17:20,458
[Ma Rainey] Irvin, where's my car?

1465
01:17:20,541 --> 01:17:22,791
It's right out front.
I got the keys right here.

1466
01:17:22,875 --> 01:17:25,291
Come on and sign these forms, huh?

1467
01:17:27,958 --> 01:17:28,958
[Irvin sighs]

1468
01:17:31,166 --> 01:17:32,333
Irvin, give me my keys.

1469
01:17:33,250 --> 01:17:36,166
Sure, Ma. Justâ¦ sign these forms.

1470
01:17:43,250 --> 01:17:45,130
Send them to my address.
I'll get around to 'em.

1471
01:17:45,208 --> 01:17:47,916
Come on, Ma.
I took care of everything, didn't I?

1472
01:17:48,000 --> 01:17:49,541
I straightened everything out.

1473
01:17:50,375 --> 01:17:51,375
Ma?

1474
01:17:55,208 --> 01:17:56,208
Please?

1475
01:17:57,375 --> 01:17:58,666
[man whistling]

1476
01:18:15,875 --> 01:18:17,500
And you tell Sturdyvant,

1477
01:18:17,583 --> 01:18:20,500
any more mistakes
and I can make my records someplace else.

1478
01:18:21,166 --> 01:18:23,083
[car starting]

1479
01:18:41,541 --> 01:18:42,958
[instrument clattering]

1480
01:18:47,416 --> 01:18:51,250
[Cutler] I ain't gonna stand for it.
Ain't gonna bring me no check down here.

1481
01:18:53,041 --> 01:18:54,801
Man give me a check last time.
What happened?

1482
01:18:54,833 --> 01:18:56,665
We had to go
all over Chicago to get it cashed.

1483
01:18:56,666 --> 01:18:59,500
See a nigga with a check,
first thing they think is he stole it.

1484
01:18:59,583 --> 01:19:01,375
I ain't had no trouble cashing mine.

1485
01:19:01,458 --> 01:19:02,916
I don't visit no whore houses.

1486
01:19:03,000 --> 01:19:04,874
You don't know my business,
so don't start nothing.

1487
01:19:04,875 --> 01:19:08,333
I'm tired of you as it is. I ain't
but two seconds off your ass, noway.

1488
01:19:08,416 --> 01:19:09,625
Don't y'all start nothing now.

1489
01:19:09,708 --> 01:19:11,957
What the hell I care what you're tired of?
I wasn't talking to you.

1490
01:19:11,958 --> 01:19:14,208
- I was talking to this man.
- Boys, I've got your pay.

1491
01:19:15,250 --> 01:19:18,500
Mr. Irvin told me you boys prefer cash,
and that's what I have for you.

1492
01:19:19,083 --> 01:19:21,083
That was a good session you boys put in.

1493
01:19:21,166 --> 01:19:22,082
There's 25 for you.

1494
01:19:22,083 --> 01:19:24,958
Yes, sir, you boys really know
your business. Twenty-five for you.

1495
01:19:25,041 --> 01:19:28,166
We're gonna get you
back in here real soon. Twenty-five.

1496
01:19:28,250 --> 01:19:31,416
And have another session,
so you can make some more money.

1497
01:19:31,500 --> 01:19:32,708
And 25 for you.

1498
01:19:33,500 --> 01:19:35,125
[Levee] Uh, Mr. Sturdyvant, sir?

1499
01:19:37,875 --> 01:19:39,416
About them songs I give you?

1500
01:19:41,041 --> 01:19:43,500
Oh, yeah. Oh, Levee.
Uh, I thought about it.

1501
01:19:43,583 --> 01:19:45,583
I don't think that people will buy them.

1502
01:19:45,666 --> 01:19:47,546
They're not the type of songs
we're looking for.

1503
01:19:47,625 --> 01:19:50,666
Mr. Sturdyvant, sir.
I done already got my band picked out.

1504
01:19:50,750 --> 01:19:54,291
I got some real good fellas.
They know how to play real good music.

1505
01:19:54,375 --> 01:19:57,083
I know if the peoples
hear the music, they'll buy it.

1506
01:19:57,166 --> 01:20:00,250
Uh, Levee, I'll be fair with you.
They're not the right songs.

1507
01:20:00,333 --> 01:20:03,250
Mr. Sturdyvant, peoples
is tired of hearing jug-band music.

1508
01:20:03,333 --> 01:20:06,291
The people in the big city?
They want something with some fire to it.

1509
01:20:06,375 --> 01:20:08,458
Harlem, Detroit, DC.

1510
01:20:08,541 --> 01:20:11,666
Okay, I'll tell you what.
I'll give you $5 apiece for 'em.

1511
01:20:11,750 --> 01:20:16,583
I don't want $5, Mr. Sturdyvant.
I wants to record them songs like you say.

1512
01:20:16,666 --> 01:20:18,832
Like I say, they're not
the kind of songs we're looking for.

1513
01:20:18,833 --> 01:20:21,250
Mr. Sturdyvant,
you asked me to write them songs.

1514
01:20:21,333 --> 01:20:23,791
Why didn't you tell me that
when I first give them to you?

1515
01:20:23,875 --> 01:20:25,791
You told me you was
gonna let me record them.

1516
01:20:25,875 --> 01:20:27,374
What's the difference
between then and now?

1517
01:20:27,375 --> 01:20:30,166
- I'll pay you for your trouble.
- What's the difference?

1518
01:20:30,250 --> 01:20:31,583
That's what I wanna know.

1519
01:20:32,166 --> 01:20:34,041
I had my fellas play your songs.

1520
01:20:34,125 --> 01:20:37,500
When I heard them, they didn't sound
like the kind I'm looking for right now.

1521
01:20:37,583 --> 01:20:39,541
You got to hear me play them.

1522
01:20:39,625 --> 01:20:42,666
You ain't heard me play them.
That's what's gonna make them sound right.

1523
01:20:42,750 --> 01:20:44,083
Levee, I don't doubt that.

1524
01:20:44,166 --> 01:20:47,125
It's just that, I don't think
they'd sell like Ma's records.

1525
01:20:48,458 --> 01:20:50,208
But I'll take 'em off your hands for you.

1526
01:20:51,916 --> 01:20:54,166
[chuckles] Mr. Sturdyvant, sir.

1527
01:20:55,041 --> 01:20:58,500
I don't know what fellas
you had playing them songs,

1528
01:20:58,583 --> 01:21:02,583
but if I could play them,
I'd set them down in the people's lap.

1529
01:21:02,666 --> 01:21:05,416
Now, you told me
I could record them songs.

1530
01:21:05,500 --> 01:21:06,958
There's nothing I can do about that.

1531
01:21:07,041 --> 01:21:10,666
Like I say, it's $5 apiece.
That's what I'll pay ya.

1532
01:21:10,750 --> 01:21:12,041
I'm doing you a favor.

1533
01:21:12,125 --> 01:21:15,541
If you write any more, I'll help
you out and take 'em off your hands.

1534
01:21:15,625 --> 01:21:18,750
The price is $5 apiece. Just like now.

1535
01:21:43,250 --> 01:21:44,458
Hey, watch it, now.

1536
01:21:45,041 --> 01:21:47,041
Shit. You stepped on my shoe.

1537
01:21:47,125 --> 01:21:48,375
Excuse me there, Levee.

1538
01:21:48,458 --> 01:21:49,458
Look at that.

1539
01:21:50,500 --> 01:21:52,375
Nigga, you stepped on my shoe.

1540
01:21:52,458 --> 01:21:54,916
- What you do that for?
- Said I'm sorry.

1541
01:21:55,708 --> 01:21:59,541
You gonna step on my goddamn shoe.
You done fucked up my shoe.

1542
01:22:00,875 --> 01:22:02,666
Look at what you done to my shoe, nigga.

1543
01:22:03,458 --> 01:22:05,958
I ain't step on your shoe.
What you wanna step on my shoe for?

1544
01:22:06,041 --> 01:22:07,040
Man said he was sorry.

1545
01:22:07,041 --> 01:22:10,125
How the hell he gonna be sorry
when he done ruined my shoe?

1546
01:22:10,791 --> 01:22:12,083
Come talk about sorry.

1547
01:22:12,166 --> 01:22:14,708
Nigga, you stepped on my shoe,
you know that?

1548
01:22:16,791 --> 01:22:20,708
- See what you done done?
- I said, "Excuse me." Now it's over.

1549
01:22:20,791 --> 01:22:23,666
- What you want me to do, huh?
- Wanna go and fuck up my shoe like that.

1550
01:22:23,750 --> 01:22:26,208
I ain't step on your shoe.
Huh? Look at this.

1551
01:22:26,291 --> 01:22:29,666
- Okay, come on, now.
- Naw, naw. Look at what you done.

1552
01:22:30,250 --> 01:22:32,541
Look at that. That's my shoe.

1553
01:22:32,625 --> 01:22:35,458
You did it. You did it!

1554
01:22:35,541 --> 01:22:37,000
You fucked up my shoe.

1555
01:22:37,666 --> 01:22:40,750
You stepped on my shoe
with them raggedy-ass clodhoppers.

1556
01:22:40,833 --> 01:22:43,833
Ain't nobody studying
about you and your shoe.

1557
01:22:44,375 --> 01:22:46,250
I said, "Excuse me."

1558
01:22:46,333 --> 01:22:49,333
If you can't accept that,
then the hell with it.

1559
01:22:50,958 --> 01:22:52,208
What you want me to do?

1560
01:22:54,041 --> 01:22:55,875
You stepped on my shoe.

1561
01:22:55,958 --> 01:22:57,833
[gasps, groans]

1562
01:22:58,916 --> 01:23:00,083
[Toledo whimpers]

1563
01:23:01,750 --> 01:23:04,500
Heâ¦ He stepped on my shoe. He did.

1564
01:23:05,958 --> 01:23:08,833
Honest. Cutler, he stepped on my shoe.

1565
01:23:08,916 --> 01:23:11,375
What he do that for?
Toledo, what you do that for?

1566
01:23:11,458 --> 01:23:14,000
[gasping, groans]

1567
01:23:14,083 --> 01:23:15,083
Cutler, help.

1568
01:23:16,166 --> 01:23:17,625
He stepped on my shoe.

1569
01:23:17,708 --> 01:23:18,708
Cutler!

1570
01:23:19,083 --> 01:23:20,750
[Levee breathing heavily]

1571
01:23:20,833 --> 01:23:22,625
It's okay, Toledo. I'll help you.

1572
01:23:23,208 --> 01:23:24,208
Come on, Toledo.

1573
01:23:24,833 --> 01:23:27,333
[Levee grunting]

1574
01:23:27,916 --> 01:23:29,541
[panting]

1575
01:23:35,000 --> 01:23:36,000
Oh, no.

1576
01:23:43,250 --> 01:23:44,833
[Levee breathing heavily]

1577
01:23:47,625 --> 01:23:48,833
Don'tâ¦

1578
01:23:51,666 --> 01:23:53,625
[breathing shakily]

1579
01:23:53,708 --> 01:23:55,708
Don't look at me like that.

1580
01:23:58,666 --> 01:24:00,250
Don't look at me like that.

1581
01:24:03,875 --> 01:24:05,416
[somber music playing]

1582
01:24:09,791 --> 01:24:11,333
[breathing heavily]

1583
01:25:22,625 --> 01:25:24,500
[upbeat music playing]

1584
01:25:29,416 --> 01:25:32,583
âª You can swing it, you can bring it âª

1585
01:25:32,666 --> 01:25:35,791
âª You can dance at any hall âª

1586
01:25:35,875 --> 01:25:39,208
âª You can slide across the floor âª

1587
01:25:39,291 --> 01:25:42,291
âª You'll never have to stall
Oh, my jelly roll âª

1588
01:25:42,375 --> 01:25:43,833
âª My jelly roll âª

1589
01:25:43,916 --> 01:25:45,375
âª Oh, my jelly roll âª

1590
01:25:45,458 --> 01:25:47,041
âª My jelly roll âª

1591
01:25:47,125 --> 01:25:49,583
âª Oh, my jelly roll âª

1592
01:25:49,666 --> 01:25:52,333
âª Please, baby, let me have it all âª

1593
01:26:21,791 --> 01:26:24,000
[blues music playing]

1594
01:26:26,583 --> 01:26:28,583
[vocalizing]

1595
01:26:53,000 --> 01:26:56,375
âª My bell rang this morning âª

1596
01:26:56,458 --> 01:27:00,750
âª Didn't know which way to go âª

1597
01:27:04,250 --> 01:27:08,291
âª My bell rang this morning âª

1598
01:27:08,375 --> 01:27:12,291
âª Didn't know which way to go âª

1599
01:27:15,541 --> 01:27:19,166
âª I had the blues so bad âª

1600
01:27:19,250 --> 01:27:23,875
âª I sit right down on my floor âª

1601
01:27:27,416 --> 01:27:30,916
âª I felt like going on the mountain âª

1602
01:27:31,000 --> 01:27:35,166
âª Jumping over in the sea âª

1603
01:27:38,500 --> 01:27:42,041
âª I felt like going in the mountain âª

1604
01:27:42,125 --> 01:27:46,250
âª Jumping over in the sea âª

1605
01:27:49,208 --> 01:27:52,708
âª When my daddy stay out late âª

1606
01:27:52,791 --> 01:27:57,041
âª He don't care a thing for me âª