This is a workspace and showcase created for a work in progress by Roger Wicks, with assistance from others, to create a stage musical or film script about the youth of Newcastle growing up poor in the 1960s. As the project develops there will be changes in the content of this page. When the project is complete or substantially complete the fact will be reported here.
BACKGROUND
In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to (Newcastle's) prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution. Innovations included the development of safety lamps, Stephenson's Rocket, Lord Armstrong's artillery, Be-Ro flour, Joseph Swan's electric light bulbs, and Charles Parsons' invention of the steam turbine, which led to the revolution of marine propulsion and the production of cheap electricity. These developments encouraged the growth of Newcastle.
As heavy industries declined in the second half of the 20th century, large sections of the city centre were demolished along with many areas of slum housing. The leading political figure in the city during the 1960s was T. Dan Smith who oversaw a massive building programme of highrise housing estates and authorised the demolition of a quarter of the Georgian Grainger Town to make way for Eldon Square Shopping Centre. Smith's control in Newcastle collapsed when it was exposed that he had used public contracts to advantage himself and his business associates and for a time Newcastle became a byword for civic corruption as depicted in the films "Get Carter" and "Stormy Monday" and in the television series "Our Friends in the North".
History of slum clearance, Newcastle Chronile 2021.
The new generations born into this declining once prosperous and important city could no longer take for granted the old pattern of, particularly boys, slipping seamlessly into the jobs of their fathers, be it miner, shipyard worker, longshoreman or boilermaker. Factory employment for girls could also no longer be seen as an entitlement. Leaving home and finding accomodation of one's own became a pipedream. A life on benefits, perhaps supplemented by petty crime or drug-dealing, became the reality for many. Prolonging one's education seemed pointless. The average person's horizon ended with the silhouettes of the ranks of badly-maintained slum clearance highrise blocks.
Without television or (obviously) the Internet, the cinema, and particularly the Saturday afternoon matinees, became the princible inspiration for the fantasy worlds inhabited by the young. The glamourous lives of pop stars, gangsters, footballers, spies, guerilla fighters and secret agents; but heading the list, the Hollywood version of the Wild West.
Inevitably the distinction between fantasy and reality tended to blur...
THE PLAY, AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
Demo versions of the songs have been included as audio player links at the beginning of each set of printed lyrics so that readers can listen as they read the text.
The existing demo versions of the songs have been recorded by kind friends of Roger Wicks with vocal and musical talents over a long period, and in many cases the full script had not yet been written and they were working without any guidance as to the context of how the songs were to be used in the final play. As a result some of the songs have been sung by people of the wrong gender or age group or without enough information about their emotional significance for the characters or their place in the story. It would be particularly useful if you are a singer or musician for you to re-record any songs in this category in order to create for visitors a smoother and more immersive experience that would be more comparable to an actual visit to a theatre performance.
Another area in which feedback would be particularly useful would be ideas as to how the present over-long script could be reduced in size without too much loss to a more realistic length for stage presentation, or ideas for alternative formats in which it could be offered, for example as a film, a filmed stage performance, an animated film, a radio play, or a TV serial.
In fact the creator of this project, Roger Wicks, would be delighted to hear your comments and suggestions regarding any aspects of the work. Please email Roger at:
roger.wicks@ntlworld.com
LIST OF CHARACTERS
JIMMY JAMES: Jimmy never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. At eighteen he becomes responsible for his brother, Sonny. Struggling to make ends meet, he turns to crime. He may be a hero as far as Sonny and the local kids are concerned but when mixing with criminals he’s out of his depth. He’s accused of a gangland slaying and leaves town fearing for his life.
SONNY JAMES: Sonny spends a lot of his childhood at the cinema. He loves Westerns and honours the Code of the West. When his brother deserts him he sets fire to the cinema. He’s sent to Red Gate Approved School where the resentment he feels towards his runaway brother simmers. Soon after leaving Red Gate, his girlfriend, Sally, gets pregnant and they move into a tower block flat. Sonny finds it hard to cope with his responsibilities.
LUCILLE: Jimmy’s girlfriend is a cinema usherette. She’s also the narrator, watching events unfold as if watching a movie, moving in and out of scenes as the story unfolds. Lucille is protective of Sonny and never gives up on Jimmy, believing that one day he’ll return to clear his name.
SALLY: Sally is a local girl who hooks up with Sonny and becomes a mother at sixteen. The baby requires constant attention but she struggles on alone due to Sonny’s own emotional crisis.
VINCENT: A preacher who guides Sonny through the dark days of Red Gate. When Sonny makes his way in the world Vincent offers his support, particularly in the weeks approaching Sonny’s 18th birthday, the day Jimmy promised to return.
TINA: A girl from the estate. She sells newspapers at the station, adding her own social commentary to the stories of the day. She also deals in prescription drugs.
FLO BAXTER: Cinema manager with underworld connections.
[Newcastle-upon-Tyne, spring 1967. Jimmy, 18, stands by the side door of the ABC cinema with his brother, Sonny, and local girls, Sally and Tina. Sonny and Sally are 11, Tina is 13. Sonny, who wears a cowboy hat, impatiently rattles the side door. Lucille, a cinema usherette, stands at the side of the stage as the curtain rises.]
LUCILLE: There are two sides to every story; two sides to every man
There’s a side they want to show you and a side they never can
There’s a side that’s warm and tender, and it’s often on display
Just one thing you should remember; there’s a side they hide away
When you’ve seen both sides, come talk to me
SONNY: When are we going in?
JIMMY: Hold your horses, cowboy. We have to wait for the right moment.
[Sonny continues to rattle the doors.]
TINA: Looks like those horses have bolted, Jimmy.
[Jimmy puts an arm around his anxious brother, leading him away from the door.]
JIMMY: I’ve got a story for you, Sonny. First, I need to know if you’re a real cowboy.
If it ain’t true…
SONNY: Don’t say it.
JIMMY: If it ain’t yours…
SONNY Don’t take it.
[Jimmy’s diversionary tactics have worked. Sonny settles.]
JIMMY: We knew nothing about Frankie Green when he came on the scene. A kid without a code, fostered on Gloucester Road, he joined our gang. There was no show of hands; we didn’t take a vote; he swept through in a long black coat.
The leader back then was young Bobby Hennessy. Frankie and Bobby? There was no chemistry. I watched the two of them walk through the cemetery towards a showdown in the woods.
I saw Frankie, dressed in black, walk with Bobby down that wooded track. Two set out but only one came back. It was Frankie, dressed in black.
The papers said that Bobby drowned. I bit my lip, I never made a sound, and as they laid his body in the ground, there stood Frankie, dressed in black.
I prayed for Frankie as I stood at Bobby’s grave. Not for forgiveness, for he could not be saved. The truth lies buried, it remains untold. I prayed for Frankie. Lord, have mercy on his soul.
I see him on my TV screen, out of focus in the final scene. I close my eyes and it’s like Halloween; I see Frankie dressed in black.
When I go to bed each night, I pray to God that I will be all right, that I might sleep until the morning light, then I see Frankie dressed in black.
I pray for Frankie as I did at Bobby’s grave. Not for forgiveness, for he could not be saved. The truth lies buried, it was never told. I pray for Frankie. Lord, have mercy on his soul.
[Lucille narrates as Jimmy and his young entourage enter the cinema.]
LUCILLE: Jimmy entertained the troops with tales of the sinister characters who stalked the streets of Tyneside. He told me that Frankie Green was someone he dreamt up to keep his brother on the right track. Sonny wouldn’t get caught up in crime if he thought there were characters like Frankie out there.
It was Jimmy who needed a deterrent. Each Saturday morning he brought Sonny to the pictures. He felt his own childhood had passed him by and he didn’t want his brother to miss out. He claimed he’d been short-changed, which is ironic as he never paid to get in.
I tolerated the Saturday morning show because I knew there would be something for me later in the day. A kitchen sink drama, perhaps.
JIMMY: Who wants to be reminded of the trials of the working class? Life’s hard enough.
LUCILLE: You’re a bad influence on those kids, sneaking them in like that.
JIMMY: No child should be deprived of going to the pictures.
[Jimmy leads the children to their seats.]
LUCILLE: It was Christmas 1962 when Jimmy asked me out. I said “sure Jimmy, when the Tyne freezes over.” Two weeks later we were skating on the river. It was the coldest winter for a hundred years.
JIMMY: It was another year before Lucille kept her end of the bargain.
[Lit by a cinema projector beam, Jimmy and Lucille re-enact their first date.]
Song 1
FULL MOON KILLER
Full Moon Killer
Commotion at the cop shop, full moon above her bus stop
I whispered to Lucille impulsively
“Someone is in the river; they’re looking for a killer”
She held on to me
I never meant to scare her, that wasn’t my intention
I’d never do that to her purposely
I get some inspiration and my imagination runs away with me
Caught in the April showers, beneath the concrete towers
She said she missed the last bus home
LUCILLE: I said “now hold on, Jimmy; don’t go, you’re coming with me
I’m not going home alone”
JIMMY: She talked a mile a minute; no subject was off limits
As we walked along the cobblestones
And as we crossed the river, I felt an icy shiver deep inside my bones
LUCILLE: Caught in the April showers, beneath the concrete towers
I said I missed the last bus home
I said “now hold on, Jimmy; don’t go, you’re coming with me
I’m not going home alone”
Full Moon Killer on the run, Full Moon Killer out there somewhere
JIMMY: That evening if I’m honest, it hadn’t shown much promise
Suddenly we’re having a good time
She likes to go out dancing; I said I like the football
She said she likes our number nine.
That goal against the Villa! Me, Lucille and the killer
I think we’ll get along just fine,
Am I falling in love? Am I falling in love with you, Lucille?
I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love
[Lucille leads her lovestruck boyfriend to the side exit.]
“Lucille” I said as we reached her door
“This rain has chilled me to the bone”
LUCILLE I said “look out now, there’s a killer on the run
Be careful on that long walk home”
[Lucille shuts the door. Jimmy is back in the alley, banging on the door as his brother was a few
minutes earlier. The lights fade. When they rise, only Lucille and Sonny remain in the cinema.]
Television signalled the end of the Saturday morning pictures. By the summer of 1967, Sonny was the last man standing. For Sonny, Dodge City was as real as Rye Hill, and on a Saturday night there wasn’t any difference.
Sonny respected the Code of the West. He removed his guns before sitting at the table; he knew that riding another man’s horse was as bad as sleeping with his wife. Most importantly, he knew that when you make a promise, you keep it.
Scene 2: [Jimmy and Sonny stand in a churchyard at their father’s funeral. Lucille joins them.]
JIMMY: From here I can see Paradise. Over there, by the weapons factory, where Dad worked when he was courting Mam. Each payday he’d fly through the factory gates and navigate his way down Scotswood Road to meet her. There was a pub on every corner in those days. He didn’t always make it.
Tommy James drank whisky in the Gun Hotel
He’d pick a fight in The Rifle and pass out in The Shell
LUCILLE: Today was set in stone the day your mam left.
[Sonny stares into the distance.]
SONNY: Is that a funeral car?
JIMMY: That’s Johnny Raven’s roller. He’s probably come to pay his respects to someone he’s had a hand in burying.
SONNY: Is he the grave digger?
JIMMY: He’s kept a few in business. Johnny Raven is a gangster. Nothing moves on the river without his knowledge. He’s known as the King of the Tyne. You keep away from people like him.
LUCILLE: That goes for both of you.
JIMMY: We’ll be OK, Sonny. I’m eighteen, we can keep the flat. Eighteen is the magic number, no-one can push us around. When you turn eighteen, we’ll get out of here. We’ll ride into the sunset. Check out all the places we’ve seen in Westerns.
SONNY: You promise?
JIMMY: On my life, Sonny. The James Gang will ride again.
Song 2
SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD
Somewhere Down the Road
When your bridges have been burned and you’ve nowhere else to turn
I will see you there, somewhere down the road
When you’ve done the best you can, and still nothing goes to plan
I will meet you there, somewhere down the road
& LUCILLE: Everything must change, Sonny that’s the way it is
Nothing stays the same, that’s the way it goes
There will come a day, what a better day it is
Not too far away, somewhere down the road
LUCILLE: Keep on moving, don’t look back; no diversions; stay on track
And I’ll see you there, somewhere down the road
There’s no future in the past, a change will come at last
And I’ll meet you there, somewhere down the road
& JIMMY: Everyone must change, Sonny that’s the way it is
No-one stays the same, that’s the way it goes
There will come a day, a so much better day than this
Not too far away, somewhere down the road, somewhere down the road
Scene 3: [Jimmy waits for Lucille by the side door of the cinema.]
LUCILLE: Jimmy couldn’t find regular work; his reputation saw to that. I turned a blind eye to his misdemeanours. As far as I was concerned he was a lad from the estate trying to make a living. Besides, he had a brother to support. And we had plans for the future.
[ Lucille displays her diamond engagement ring before stepping outside.]
Song 3
IT’S DOWN TO LOVING YOU
It's Down to Loving You
All that I have done, all I’m gonna do, comes back to loving you
Where we started from, where we’re heading to, comes back to loving you
It all comes back to loving you
Promises we made, plans we’re working to, comes back to loving you
All those dreams we shared, they could all come true, comes back to loving you
Yeah, it all comes down to loving you
You’re the motivation for everything I do
You’re my inspiration, it’s down to loving you
JIMMY: All that I have done, all I’m gonna do, comes back to loving you
Where we started from, where we’re heading to, comes back to loving you
It all comes back to loving you
& LUCILLE: If we work together, we can see it through
We can make it happen, it’s down to loving you
You’re the motivation for everything I do
You’re my inspiration, it’s down to loving you
Scene 4: [In a tower block flat, Jimmy and Sonny sit at a table. Jimmy puts Sonny’s hat on.]
SONNY: Hey, you should never wear another man’s hat.
JIMMY: Gotta respect the code, right?
[Jimmy takes a gun from his jacket and twirls it like a Western gunslinger.]
SONNY: Lucille will kill you if she sees you with that.
JIMMY: It’ll be our little secret, won’t it?
SONNY: You shouldn’t bring a gun to the table.
JIMMY: Frankie Green asked me to give it the once over and erase any fingerprints.
SONNY: Frankie Green? Lucille said you made him up.
JIMMY: I told Lucille I made him up because I didn’t want to worry her.
Frankie’s domain is the docks. He enlisted me when I was ten. “Hey Jimmy, get through that skylight and there’s a couple of quid in it for you.” Before you know it he’s forcing a gun into your hand saying “guard it as if your life depends on it, because it does!” Once he gets his claws into you he never lets go.
This old relic has seen better days. Frankie plans to replace it.
SONNY: What if the police find it and link it to a murder? You could hang for it.
JIMMY: I’m giving it back! There’s a boat coming in from the Baltic. Buried in the hold, courtesy of an old comrade of Frankie, is a Makarov, a Russian Army pistol. All Frankie has to do is collect it.
SONNY: I thought you were going to mend your ways.
JIMMY: I tried to bail out when dad died. I said “Frankie, do you think that it’s all right if I walk away? I’ve got a kid brother to take care of.”
He growled at me. “I can’t let you go, Jimmy. You know where all the bodies are buried.” I said “aye, Frankie, in the Tyne!”
He turned on me. “That’s the trouble with you, Jimmy; you’ve got a big mouth. It’s a dangerous thing in this line of work.”
Song 4
DO YOU THINK THAT IT’S ALL RIGHT?
Do You Think That It's All Right?
“Do you think that it’s all right to let you walk out?
Do you think that it’s all right to let you go?
Do you think that it’s OK to let you walk away?
After everything you’ve seen and all you know?
Do you think that it’s all right? Do you think that it’s all right?
Jimmy, you know all my little secrets
I’m gonna need some form of guarantee
So you won’t tell the law what you believe you saw
So you don’t try to pin something on me
Do you think that it’s all right to let you disappear into the night?
Do you think that it’s all right to let information come to light?
Do you think that it’s all right? We all like a good clean fight
But in the end you do what you think right”
Frankie said “I hear you have a brother
Don’t worry, Jimmy, I am not so mean
I’d never harm a child,” he whispered with a smile
“ I’ll come back for the boy when he’s eighteen”
“Do you think that it’s all right to run out like a thief into the night?
Do you think that it’s all right? Were you given the green light?
Do you think that it’s all right? Jimmy, just sit tight
I have Sonny in my telescopic sight”
Frankie said “I hear you have a brother
Don’t worry, Jimmy, I am not so mean
I’d never harm a child,” he whispered with a smile
“I’ll come back for the boy when he’s eighteen”
Scene 5 [Jimmy, dishevelled, enters the cinema through the side door. He runs into the manager, Flo Baxter.]
FLO: Coming in through the fire exit, Jimmy? What’s it like to live in a land where rules apply to everyone but yourself?
JIMMY: Hi, Flo. I just stepped out for some fresh air, I already paid.
FLO: Of course you did. Like every other day of the week. No wonder cinemas across the land are being converted into bingo halls.
Look at the state of you. Lucille may be blind to your faults but you can’t pull the wool over my eyes. You’re a waster, like your father. Lucille deserves better.
Jimmy brushes past the manager and finds Lucille. Sonny is asleep in the front row.
LUCILLE: Where have you been? "The Endless Summer" finished half an hour ago.
[Jimmy steps into the light.]
Christ, Jimmy, what happened?
JIMMY: I know a couple of fellas who work at Johnny Raven’s new casino. They said I should come down and see what they’ve done with the place. They bought me a couple of drinks. Next thing I know is I’ve blown the rent money. They gave me credit and I blew that too. That was two days ago. Today, they came for the money. I didn’t have it.
LUCILLE: What is it with you and gangsters? It’s not like the movies, these are not a bunch of wise-cracking wise guys. Ruffle their feathers, they’ll cut your throat.
Johnny Raven wasn’t after your rent money, he was after information. What did you talk about?
JIMMY: They asked me to watch out for any unusual activity at the docks. What could I tell the King of the Tyne that he wouldn’t already know? I just need some time to pay them back. Can you talk to Flo? She’s connected.
LUCILLE: Flo won’t do you any favours. Keep messing up and it’s only a matter of time before Sonny is taken into care, and you know what, it wouldn’t be the worst outcome. There are foster families who would give him a decent life, until you can show you’ve turned things round.
JIMMY: You look after your own.
LUCILLE: You’ve clearly demonstrated that you’re not able to do that yet.
[Sonny wakes.]
Flo doesn’t pay me to be a babysitter. You can’t keep leaving Sonny here while you do whatever it is you do.
JIMMY: I bring him here to escape the chaos that’s out there.
LUCILLE: No, Jimmy. Wherever you are, that’s where the chaos is.
[Jimmy and Sonny exit. Lucille is approached by Flo Baxter.]
FLO: Lucille, a friend of mine has opened a casino. He’s looking for someone to charm the guests, make them feel at ease. He’s asked to meet you.
LUCILLE: Would this friend of yours be Johnny Raven, by any chance?
FLO: It will be a well-heeled clientele. Mr Raven requires someone to entertain them and bring champagne to their tables.
LUCILLE: He wants me to light cigarettes for rich white people.
FLO: This could be a wonderful opportunity for you. You’re hiding your talents here, Lucille. You have a great voice; the club would be the perfect stage for you. It would also be a chance for you to mix with the right people. Jimmy James is heading to hell in a handcart, surely you must see that.
LUCILLE: What if I don’t want to be Johnny Raven’s little match girl?
FLO: Someone will call to collect your boyfriend’s debts on Monday.
Scene 6: [Flo welcomes guests to Nashville Night at the King of the Tyne.]
FLO: A royal King of the Tyne welcome to all you risk takers and speculators. I’m talking about the money makers; the movers and shakers; banking giants and their wealthy clients; moguls and tycoons; even those with small fortunes.
If you’ve flown in on your private jets, if you’re the guys who write the cheques, you’re welcome. If you have a Cezanne in the back of the van, we won’t judge, make yourself at home.
Rich financiers…
[The lights rise. Flo takes a glance at the audience. She is unimpressed.]
Pigeon fanciers.
Oh well, you’re here now. Making her Nashville Night debut is someone we’re going to see a lot more of in the coming months. From across the water, give it up for Gateshead girl, Lucille.
[Lucille, dressed in a generic Country and Western outfit, walks out to a ripple of applause.]
Song 5
WE HAD A GOOD THING GOING
We Had a Good Thing Going
LUCILLE: Our love don’t look good, it’s on life support
Thanks for the kindness and keeping us in your thoughts
Love don’t last forever and now life must go on
We had a good thing going, now it’s gone
Thanks for the sympathy but this is how it ends
Let it rest in pieces and maybe we’ll stay just friends
Remember the good times but now I’m moving on
We had a good thing going, now it’s gone
Don’t send flowers, please don’t say a prayer
Please don’t telephone just to tell me that you care
Please don’t write a letter telling me I must stay strong
We had a good thing going, now it’s gone
Yes, we had a good thing going, now it’s gone
Scene 7 [At the flat, Sonny and Jimmy sit at the breakfast table.]
SONNY: If it ain’t right, don’t do it.
JIMMY: A bit early in the morning to come at me with the code. What’s eating you?
SONNY Whatever you’re planning to do with that gun, don’t.
JIMMY: I told you, that gun wasn’t mine. I gave it back to Frankie for the Makarov heist.
I was on the roof, keeping watch. An hour after the ship dropped its cargo, one crate lay unattended on the quay. Frankie emerged from the mist. He took a jemmy from inside his coat and cracked open the crate. He began searching for the Makarov among the Russian dolls and furry hats when, suddenly, the cops came out of nowhere.
SONNY: Sounds like he’d been set up.
JIMMY: Probably by Johnny Raven. Frankie’s been a thorn in his side for years.
Frankie drew his old gun. The cops backed off but Frankie knew the game was up. He glanced up at the roof but I kept my head down. A few seconds later I saw the police shining their torches into the water. The river was his only escape. A police boat patrolled but there was no sign of him.
SONNY: Frankie drowned?
JIMMY: You don’t get rid of Frankie that easily. He was one of a number of enterprising thieves who made a living off the river. Organized crime moved in and the independents packed up and left. All except Frankie, who refused to be intimidated. My guess is that Johnny Raven lost patience with him and that was a big mistake, one that Johnny’s going to regret.
If Johnny gets clipped there will be a hundred suspects but Frankie won’t be one of them. As far as the cops are concerned, he’s dead, which would give him the perfect alibi.
Frankie climbed out of the river with a smile as wide as the Tyne. Poor Johnny Raven, nothing can save him, he’s in Frankie’s firing line.
Cops don’t waste time on gangland crime. Frankie is one lucky guy. He’s got a gun and he’s working on the perfect alibi.
Scene 8: [At the cinema, Lucille fastens her coat as she approaches Flo.]
LUCILLE: Are you sure you don’t need a hand to lock up?
FLO: No, you run along. I’m on stage at the club tomorrow so I’ll use the peace and quiet to work on my act.
[Flo grabs Lucille’s hand.]
Everything is an act, Lucille, you’ve just got to learn to play along. Johnny was very pleased with you last night. You made a big impression.
Lucille exits. [Flo, spot-lit, improvises an introduction to the club.]
Good evening and welcome to the King of the Tyne. I’m your hostess, Lola…
Who am I kidding? Your compere tonight is Florence Baxter, former holiday camp team leader and bingo caller. Florence, “time for fun, forty one” was recently dumped in favour of Brenda, “overweight, twenty eight” who quickly realised what a useless, dishonest bastard he really is. Florence is currently channelling that anger to help her compete in a man’s world.
[Lights rise to reveal the club, where Flo continues her act.]
“Five and six. Was she worth it?”
Song 6
HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE?
Have You Head This One Before?
I wonder have you heard this one before; honey, she don’t want you any more
When I heard I rolled around the floor; honey, she don’t want you any more
Surely you must see the funny side; honey, you’ve been taken for a ride
When I heard I laughed until I cried; honey, you’ve been taken for a ride
Every time I think of it, I smile; I’ll have fun with this one for a while
I appreciate the irony; she has done what you have done to me
I wonder have you heard this one before; no-one seems to want you any more
Excuse me while I get up off the floor; no-one seems to want you
I’ve been doing stand-up for a while; this will have them rolling in the aisles
They’ll appreciate the irony; you should try to crawl back home to me
I wonder have you heard this one before; no-one seems to want you any more
Surely you must see the funny side; honey, you’ve been taken for a ride
Honey, you’ve been taken for a ride
Scene 9: [Lucille, Jimmy and Sonny are huddled together in a seaside shelter.]
LUCILLE: The good people of Newcastle will sleep easy in their beds knowing the one-man crime wave is having a weekend at the coast.
JIMMY: I told you, Lucille, I’m a changed man.
LUCILLE: Then how do you account for the watch?
JIMMY: I bought it from a bloke in the Bee Hive. Anyway, I didn’t hear you complain when I gave you that rock. Liz Taylor would be proud of that.
[Lucille admires her engagement ring.]
SONNY: Lucille, did you really sing at the casino?
LUCILLE: I didn’t have much choice, thanks to Doc Holliday here.
JIMMY: I’ll settle things with Johnny. I’m working on a plan.
LUCILLE: Please don’t. You’re in enough trouble as it is. Stick to story telling and leave crime to the criminals. You’re a hero to Sonny. Keep it that way.
Song 7
THE MAN WHO ROBBED THE GOLD TRAIN
The Man Who Robbed the Gold Train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You never told the truth, each tale you told was fabricated
SONNY: I heard that train was bulletproof; I heard that train was armour plated
LUCILLE: You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
It’s time to change your tune; you’re that old dog in the farmyard
Howling at the harvest moon
SONNY: How did you get past the armed guard?
LUCILLE: You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You come riding into town, telling all your tales of glory
How you shot the Jones boys down, now I’m not buying that old story
You’re not the man who shot the Jones Gang
You’re not the man who shot the Jones Gang
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not that ruthless desperado
Scene 10: [Jimmy and Sonny return to the flat. Sonny picks up the evening newspaper.]
SONNY: Since when did we get the evening paper delivered?
JIMMY: We don’t.
SONNY: “KING OF THE TYNE SHOT DEAD.”
[Jimmy snatches the newspaper from his brother and reads the front page story.]
You said you’d settle things with Johnny. You said you were working on a plan.
JIMMY: A payment plan! A plan to pay off the debt!
SONNY: You were upset about Lucille working at the casino. You snuck out last night. Lucille was asleep but I heard you leave.
JIMMY: Are you saying I shot Johnny Raven? Yes, I was angry about Lucille working for him. I drove to the club to warn him that Frankie was probably alive and looking to get even. I hoped that the heads-up might be enough to settle the debt without involving Lucille.
SONNY: You drove there?
JIMMY: How drunk was that car salesman last night? I borrowed the keys to his Jag.
SONNY: A getaway car!
JIMMY: No! Look, I didn’t even get to see Johnny, there was too much security.
SONNY: Says the guy who breaks into the cinema every week.
JIMMY: This is crazy.
SONNY: Jimmy.
JIMMY: I won’t shed any tears for Johnny Raven but that doesn’t make me a murderer.
SONNY: Jimmy!
JIMMY: What?
SONNY: I’m joking. I had you there didn’t I?
Real killers don’t go round twirling their guns like the Cisco Kid.
[Lights fade, then rise to indicate some time has passed. Jimmy collects a few belongings then sits by Sonny’s bed. He knows he must leave Tyneside.
Song 8
GUNS IN THE VALLEY
Guns in the Valley
JIMMY: No more guns in the valley tonight
Tell Lucille I’ve finally taken flight
Bells are ringing out for I have seen the light
No more guns in the valley tonight
No more guns on the river tonight
Tell Lucille I’ve given up the fight
I’ll be far away from here by morning light
No more guns on the river tonight
No more Shenandoah, no more Wichita
No more Abilene, no more New Orleans
No more Dalton Gang, no more Rio Grande
No more guns in the valley
No more guns on the streets of Rye Hill
It ends now before someone else gets killed
I am running out; enough blood has been spilled
No more guns on the streets of Rye Hill
No more guns in the valley tonight
Tell Lucille I’ve finally taken flight
Bells are ringing out, I have seen the light
No more guns in the valley, no more guns in the valley
[Jimmy exits.]
Scene 11 [Jimmy enters the cinema. Lucille senses that he is in danger.]
Song 9
LEAVE THE WAY THAT YOU CAME
Leave the Way That You Came
LUCILLE: You got it all wrong, you misunderstood
To believe that I need you, to think that I would
You got the wrong impression, got the wrong idea
Honey get the message, you’re not welcome here
Leave the way that you came, the way that you came in
Leave the way that you came, the way you that came in
Who requested the pleasure of your company?
No invitation ever came from me
You must have crashed the party; sorry what’s your name?
You’re not on the guest list, leave the way you came
Leave the way that you came, the way that you came in
Leave the way that you came, the way you that came in
[Lucille turns to the audience.]
Why do we hurt the ones we love? Why do we tear ourselves apart?
If I don’t give that boy a shove, he’ll take a bullet to the heart
Leave the way that you came, leave the way that you came in
Leave the way that you came, leave the way you that came in
Scene 12: [Sonny catches up with Jimmy at the station.]
JIMMY: Go home, Sonny. It’s not safe.
SONNY: Shane never ran.
JIMMY: Shane never came up against Frankie Green.
SONNY: Stop! Frankie’s your Frankenstein, you made him up to scare us! You tell great stories but that’s all they are! I mean Russian dolls and furry hats, for fucks sake!
JIMMY: Frankie must have walked into the casino last night and shot Johnny.
SONNY: Whenever you fuck up you blame Frankie Green. You made him up to cover for your mistakes.
JIMMY: My job that night was to watch out for the cops. I failed to raise the alarm, that’s enough to make Frankie believe I ratted him out.
Frankie Green was our paper boy tonight. He delivered a message: I’m next!
SONNY: You’re getting fantasy and reality all mixed up and it’s scaring me.
JIMMY: I’ve always looked out for you, Sonny, and now I’m asking you to trust me. I didn’t shoot Johnny. One day I’ll prove it but right now no-one’s going to listen. Don’t talk to Flo because she was in Johnny’s pocket. The only person you can trust is Lucille. Find her, she’ll know what to do.
Look out for me on your 18th birthday. We’ll take on the world.
SONNY: No thanks, I’ve seen what happens when you take the world on.
Song 10
RUNNING AWAY
Running Away
JIMMY I gotta run now, I gotta go
I’ll stay far away from the people and places I know
I gotta run now, I gotta leave
I’d take you with me but I’m not a problem you need
I gotta run now, why would I stay?
Nothing can stop me; no-one can stand in my way
I gotta run now, fast as I can
I’m in deep water, nothing is going to plan
Everyone is on the run from something or someone
Some are running scared, they don’t know what they’re running from
Here I stand accused; don’t know where I’m going I just know I gotta run
And keep running, I’ll keep running
[Jimmy runs for a train. Sonny runs to the cinema and enters through the side door. Moments later, a fire starts.]
Scene 13: [ Four years later, 15-year-old Sonny, still wearing a cowboy hat, sits by the gates of Red Gate Approved School. In the background we see cameos of the previous years.]
LUCILLE: Jimmy slipped out like a thief in the night. For a boy who honoured the Code of the West it was a betrayal. After the fire, Sonny was sent to Red Gate School.
Song 11
JAMES GANG
James Gang
SONNY ABC Minors that's where you'd find us
Standing in line as dreams we were sold
My brother Jimmy, he would come with me
He'd always give me his hand to hold
Ridin' with the James Gang, ridin' with the James Gang
Lucille so pretty selling ice cream
Saturday came and we were ridin' with the James Gang
Shooting at anything up on that screen
Jim was on most of those wanted posters
“Ten thousand dollars, dead or alive
Alias Corona, the dangerous loner
Who took on the Jones Gang and shot down all five”
Ridin' with the James Gang, ridin' with the James Gang
Lucille so pretty selling that dream
Saturday came and we were ridin' with the James Gang
My brother Jimmy stole every scene
Full of bravado, he held up Wells Fargo
“A wild desperado” the posters all read
And as I scouted the gold bars were counted
And I thought of the bounty on my brother's head
Ridin' with the James Gang, ridin’ with the James Gang
One summer evening barely nineteen
He got on a train and got out of the James Gang
Claimed he was running from mean Frankie Green
[We see 11-year-old Sonny at the station, pleading his brother not to leave.]
“Please take me with you! I'll never forgive you!”
The train crossed the river, the rain fell ice cold
I ran for the safety the ABC gave me
The place was empty, credits had rolled
[Tina appears at the school gates. She hands Sonny a small packet.]
& TINA We were ridin’ with the James Gang, ridin’ with the James Gang
Ridin with the James Gang
We were ridin’ with the James Gang, ridin’ with the James Gang
Ridin’ with the James Gang
[Tina exits as a preacher, Vincent, approaches Sonny.]
VINCENT: I hear you’ve been having nightmares. I’ve seen your friend at the gate. Whatever she’s supplying you with won’t help. Keep your nose clean and you’ll be out of here in a few months. Take these, they’ll help you sleep.
[Vincent offers Sonny a bottle of pills. Sonny declines the offer.]
Song 12
YOU’VE GOT TO TRUST SOMEONE
You've Got to Trust Someone
You have some problems; you know you can’t solve them yourself
Maybe a secret you’re keeping from everyone else
You feel like sharing but you don’t know where to begin
I can’t come up with a reason for keeping it in
Don’t freeze me out any longer; don’t leave me out in the cold
I read your file, I’m aware of the trials you’ve been through
A thief for a brother, a mother who didn’t want you
Sonny walks away from Vincent as Flo Baxter walks by.
FLO: If it wasn’t for bad luck you would have no luck at all
If you hear from Jimmy, tell him to give me a call
& VINCENT: Don’t freeze me out any longer; don’t leave me out in the cold
Don’t freeze me out any longer; don’t leave me out in the cold
There’s a cold wind blowing; a cold wind
There’s a cold wind blowing; a cold wind
VINCENT: Now you’re fifteen, at sixteen you’ll get out of here
Please don’t imagine that things will be easy next year
I’m not trying to break you; I’m just trying to make you aware
You’ve got to trust someone; you don’t know who’s waiting out there
& FLO: A cold wind; there’s a cold wind blowing; there’s a cold wind blowing
You’ve got to trust someone; you’ve got to trust someone
Scene 14: [Somewhere in London, Jimmy is missing home.]
Song 13
SATURDAY’S BLUE
JIMMY: I really miss St James’s and that fleapit picture house
All I see is strangers ever since I headed south
And there’s nothing I can do, nothing I can do
Without you Saturday’s blue
I miss our favourite places, where we’d while the time away
We’d win at the races then spend it all at Whitley Bay
Now there’s nothing I can do, nothing I can do
Without you Saturday’s blue
All weekend long, the whole week through
I’m waiting on the day I’m home with you
Until I’m back with you, until I’m home with you Saturday’s blue
Left home in a hurry, never even had the time
To tell you I was sorry, I had so much on my mind
There was nothing I could do; nothing I could do
Without you Saturday’s blue, Saturday’s blue
Scene 15: [At Red Gate, Sonny sits on a bench. Vincent joins him.]
VINCENT: Sonny, I know what you did last night. You thought that you had snuck out, out of sight. I know it was you who set alight the concrete factory. It takes a thief to catch a thief they say; but don’t worry, it’s your lucky day. Just this once I’ll look the other way. Your secret’s safe with me.
Sonny, if you walk out of this place, head held high, no longer in disgrace, that would put a smile upon my face, to see you walking free. I can see your dreams all turned to dust, you haven’t found it easy to adjust. Firebug, I’m the one guy you can trust. Your secret’s safe with me.
There, I’ve made a promise, we gotta be honest; I’m not like your brother, we should trust each other; I could just say screw this, I don’t have to do this, what’s it gonna be?
[Vincent offers a handshake. Sonny accepts.]
Your secret’s safe with me.
I first came to Red Gate as a bible salesman. I sold to hotels, schools, hospitals. Bulk sales meant more commission but I much preferred engaging with individual buyers, each of whom had their own reason for wishing to acquire the Good Book. They wanted to talk and I was a good listener; so good that I rarely met my targets. I had found my calling so I quit and became a lay preacher.
For boys like yourself, Red Gate is the last stop on the line before prison. It’s the last chance saloon, that’s a hard fact, but if I can save just one young man from that fate then I’m doing the Lord’s work. Different targets these days.
SONNY: He’s coming back.
VINCENT: The Lord will again walk among us.
SONNY: Not Jesus. Jimmy. He promised to come back on my 18th birthday. When you make a promise you keep it. It’s the code.
VINCENT: I can promise you this: Jimmy never lived by any moral code. He wanted gangland respect and was frustrated that he was regarded as inconsequential.
He came to see me a few days before he left Tyneside. We talked about the old days. He gave no indication of the chaos that was coming.
Song14
TIME TO KILL
Time to Kill
We talked about everything; we talked about everything
We talked about anything; we had some time to kill
Me and Jimmy talked about why things went wrong; is it any wonder why?
We had it all worked out before too long
Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder why?
We talked about life, talked about absent friends
We talked of our lives back in the wild West End
We talked about everything in the days when time stood still
We talked about anything; we had some time to kill
Everybody said he’s no good, is it any wonder why?
They said trouble is in his blood
Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder? Is it any wonder why?
We talked about life, talked about absent friends
We talked of our lives back in the wild West End
We talked about everything in the days when time stood still
We talked about anything; we had some time to kill
We talked about crime; mostly the small-time stuff
The nickel and dime, how it was not enough
We talked about life, we talked about absent friends
We talked of our lives back in the wild West End
We talked about everything in the days when time stood still
We talked about anything; we had some time to kill
[Vincent offers Sonny some pills. Sonny accepts the offer.]