Today's Five O'Clock Rock (Episode 46)
Okay, this takes some background.
Way back, there was this scene that my friend Kit and I always talked about putting into a screenplay. It was basically a real conversation of ours. The scene would have gone something like this:
Sorry. It's just been that sort of week. Not to mention how I felt myself age by writing that I have used a car radio with dials.
INT. CAR
J is driving. KIT is shotgun. On the radio, Sam Cooke's "What a Wonderful World" is in its final chorus.
KIT: What a perfect song. Just perfect. Sam Cooke, right?
J: Yep.
KIT: Man, whatever happened to him?
J: He was shot outside a motel office, wearing nothing but a trenchcoat.
KIT: JESUS. Really?
J: Mmm-hmm.
On the radio, Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" begins to play.
KIT: Nothing bad happened to Marvin Gaye, did it?
J: Shot.
KIT: Damn.
J: By his own father.
KIT: Fuck!
KIT reaches over and turns the radio dial.
KIT: Them?
J: Singer, car crash.
KIT changes the dial again.
J: Car.
Again.
J: Car.
Again.
J: Plane.
Again.
J: Drowned.
Again.
J: Can't remember. Something with vomit.
Again.
J: Drowned in vomit.
KIT turns off the radio.
KIT: Okay. The one song that will cheer me up, no matter what's wrong. (INHALES) Please, please tell me that, somewhere, the theme-from-"Maude" guy is a fat happy grandpa.
J: Fell out a window.
There is silence.
KIT: (POINTS) That bar up there.
J: Sounds good.
EXT. CAR
The car exits the freeway.
KIT: But then we're sleeping it off in the car.
This Friday's Mix: Whatever Happened To?
Intro
Big Houses / House Of Freaks
I'm Free Now / Morphine
#1 Hit Song / Minutemen
Ticket Tulane / Silkworm
Trouble / Little Feat
Ballad Of Big Nothing / Elliott Smith
Things Behind The Sun / Nick Drake
New Year's Prayer / Jeff Buckley
You And Your Sister / Chris Bell
That's Where It's At / Sam Cooke
When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You / Marvin Gaye
You've Got A Friend / Donny Hathaway
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song / Jim Croce
Let's Get Lost / Chet Baker
Loving You / Minnie Riperton
Don't Cry / J Dilla