Catfish Bones A Love Song to the Blues
It has been said that the Blues is America's gift to the World, but in the year 2010, the great players have passed on, and the young bucks just don't get it. To make matters worse, nobody seems to care that the Blues is d. ying. No one, except a young man with the unfortunate name of Catfish Bones, who struggles to survive and keep the Blues alive in this one-hour musical
NOTE: THE ENTIRE ONE HOUR PLAY IS POSTED, WITH THE SONG RECORDINGS,
JUST CLICK ON "OLDER POSTS" IN SEQUENCE AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
READ THE ENTIRE PLAY, AND HEAR THE SONG RECORDINGS.
The Actors
Catfish Bones, guitar/harmonica player, singer 2 guysAwkward ManWoman #1/ SueSpirit voices, must sound like old blues men (could be recording)Cook (bass or rhythm guitar)Cashier (drummer or bass, as needed for trio)Boss Lady –non speaking role Lady with laptop – non speaking roleSlow Joe – a heavy set tin whistle playerBass Player – Amplified Rock/Blues BassMisc. ensemble roles can be added at Directors discretion
Catfish Bones
NOTE: THE ENTIRE ONE HOUR PLAY IS POSTED, WITH THE SONG RECORDINGS,
JUST CLICK ON "OLDER POSTS" IN SEQUENCE AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
READ THE ENTIRE PLAY, AND HEAR THE SONG RECORDINGS.
The Actors
Act 1 - Scene 1
Catfish Bones (a guitar/blues harmonica player) is playing in a small, mostly empty CHICAGO café. The coffee girl(Boss Lady) pounds espresso after espresso while working on a Sudoko book. The only customers are a gay couple talking with each other at some distance from the stage, a girl working at her laptop, and a young man and women on a first date who are unable to sustain a conversation, so they watch Catfish with a forced interest, but are really trying to connect to each other, awkwardly. No one is especially interested in Catfish.
[Listen to Song#1 "Becky on the Road" on this YouTube link. I Hired John Black
to record this song, but I am exclusive owner to the copyright for theplay and all songs
all songs are original, copyright -2010]
Song#1 "Becky on the Road"
Catfish: So, I’ve been walking around for about a month and a half now with a notebook
in my hand and telling folks I was working on “the Greatest Love Song ever written!” I have it all up here (pointing to his head). All I have to do now is just write it down. Simple, right?
But honestly, I’ve just been having one problem after another with the song, and finally last night I couldn’t take it anymore. So I go “to Hell with this!”, tear my notes in half, and flush them down the toilet.
Naturally, the damn thing clogged the toilet, and I had to reach in and pull out a soggy mess of crappy lyrics.
But I had the last laugh, I grabbed a gallon of gas, and went down to the Forest Preserve and burned the whole damn thing. Watching “the Greatest Love song ever written” go up in flames, man I tell you -It was the best I’ve felt in months! (Laughs to himself)
(looking over at the Boss Lady, who’s looking at Catfish impatiently and tapping the pencil on her Sodoku book, Catfish sheepishly Aside to his audience )– Boss Lady’s wants to hear some music,, I better play something
[short instrumental]
Becky was her name. She would come over when she was feeling down, and I’d sing her the Blues, tell a few stories, get her to laugh, make her smile..that felt good (closing his eyes and smiling)
That felt real good[short instrumental]
So I’d sing her the Blues, and she’ll tell me about her kids, and then she’d start talking about her dream. Yeh, her dream was to move to Chicago, “the Windy City” and be a reporter for WGN , and get a place looking down on Lake Shore Drive, and it was all planned out and it all seemed so real when she’d tell it, and you really wanted to believe in her and say “go for it!” But it was crazy, things don’t happen that way, I’m mean I’ve seen too many people destroyed to believe in Dreams, you work for everything, and everything is five times harder to get because you want it, and that’s the way it is, and that’s the way it’s always been. And of course Becky would say that’s because it’s your Fate to be a Bluesman,. how do you argue with logic like that? Fate! Dreams! She’s a smart girl too, but she really believes that nonsense! I tell you this, you give me a million dollars, and I’ll throw this harp under a bus, and never play the Blues again. It aint my Fate! My life aint no fucking Love song to the Blues.
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
[instrumental]
So anyways, Becky had two kids, Samantha, who’s a living doll, and Patrick, who’s the funniest little man you ever saw. She’d married her high school sweetheart, but they were all ready divorced and she was living with Jim when I met her. The divorce was really messy. He had his career and the money and the kids, except on alternate weekends, and, Becky lived for her kids, and it really hurt being away from them. I only met the ex once, at a Christmas party, and I asked him how he finds time to take care of them, he goes “ That’s why I hired a maid”-I damn near knocked his teeth out, seriously, Becky comes over and goes “Catfish, you’re not helping” she was right of course, but what was I supposed to do?
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
[laughing heh, heh] Jim decked me for that. That took balls. Most folks got more sense than to mess with the Cat.
[instrumental]
I’ll always remember that night on the beach, cupping her breast in my hand, and feeling her tremble as I rolled on top of her, I put my fingers to her lip and said “Becky, I’d never do anything to hurt you”
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
[instrumental]
I had an accident a while ago. It was a skiing accident, sort of, I don’t really want to go into it, but I was laid up in the hospital for three weeks, and by the time I got out with the bills and everything, they’d taken everything. So you start over, this is America, you can always start over, they haven’t fucked that over yet. You work twice as hard, and twice as long and eventually you can get back to where you where. Time and Effort, Heart and Soul, that’s all it takes, people are doing it every day. But I’m asking around and I learn that Becky’s lost visitation rights of her kids, so she’s gone, and nobody seems to know where, and Jim’s got a new job in St Louis, so he’s gone down river, and I’m walking around St Paul feeling like a ghost or something. So what do I do? I pick up and go to Chicago, why? Because I’m a jackass, that’s why.
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
But yeh, Becky’s here in Chicago, somewhere. I’ll never see her again, I know that, but she’s here, somewhere. Jim and Becky were living together when I first met her ,and Jim was my best friend, we go way back, and I kind of got in the middle of all that, and it just makes me feel sort of sick thinking about it, I mean I’d never do anything to hurt Jim, or Becky. Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like you’ve been wrong about everything. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it?
[short instrumental]
But yeh, Becky’s here in Chicago chasing her Dream, and I’m just hoping she can get by, without, you know all the things that can happen, and I’m wandering around with a lot of free time and a notebook in my hand, writing down “the Greatest Love Song ever written!”, when it finally dawns on me – Catfish! You’re a Bluesman, what the Hell do you know about Love?..
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
One of the guys grabs his coat, throws it over his shoulder, goes over to the cash register, buys a cup of coffee from Boss Lady and leaves it on the table next to Catfish’s empty tip jar, he puts on his coat and walks to the door, the other guy gets up and walks to the door also, they exit as a couple.
Awkward Guy: Sue, do you want another cup of Coffee? I’d be glad to get it for you.
Sue (blushing): Actually 5 cups was too much I think (runs off to the restroom)
[Listen to Song#1 "Becky on the Road" on this YouTube link. I Hired John Black
to record this song, but I am exclusive owner to the copyright for theplay and all songs
all songs are original, copyright -2010]
Song#1 "Becky on the Road"
Catfish: So, I’ve been walking around for about a month and a half now with a notebook
in my hand and telling folks I was working on “the Greatest Love Song ever written!” I have it all up here (pointing to his head). All I have to do now is just write it down. Simple, right?
But honestly, I’ve just been having one problem after another with the song, and finally last night I couldn’t take it anymore. So I go “to Hell with this!”, tear my notes in half, and flush them down the toilet.
Naturally, the damn thing clogged the toilet, and I had to reach in and pull out a soggy mess of crappy lyrics.
But I had the last laugh, I grabbed a gallon of gas, and went down to the Forest Preserve and burned the whole damn thing. Watching “the Greatest Love song ever written” go up in flames, man I tell you -It was the best I’ve felt in months! (Laughs to himself)
(looking over at the Boss Lady, who’s looking at Catfish impatiently and tapping the pencil on her Sodoku book, Catfish sheepishly Aside to his audience )– Boss Lady’s wants to hear some music,, I better play something
[short instrumental]
Becky was her name. She would come over when she was feeling down, and I’d sing her the Blues, tell a few stories, get her to laugh, make her smile..that felt good (closing his eyes and smiling)
That felt real good[short instrumental]
So I’d sing her the Blues, and she’ll tell me about her kids, and then she’d start talking about her dream. Yeh, her dream was to move to Chicago, “the Windy City” and be a reporter for WGN , and get a place looking down on Lake Shore Drive, and it was all planned out and it all seemed so real when she’d tell it, and you really wanted to believe in her and say “go for it!” But it was crazy, things don’t happen that way, I’m mean I’ve seen too many people destroyed to believe in Dreams, you work for everything, and everything is five times harder to get because you want it, and that’s the way it is, and that’s the way it’s always been. And of course Becky would say that’s because it’s your Fate to be a Bluesman,. how do you argue with logic like that? Fate! Dreams! She’s a smart girl too, but she really believes that nonsense! I tell you this, you give me a million dollars, and I’ll throw this harp under a bus, and never play the Blues again. It aint my Fate! My life aint no fucking Love song to the Blues.
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
[instrumental]
So anyways, Becky had two kids, Samantha, who’s a living doll, and Patrick, who’s the funniest little man you ever saw. She’d married her high school sweetheart, but they were all ready divorced and she was living with Jim when I met her. The divorce was really messy. He had his career and the money and the kids, except on alternate weekends, and, Becky lived for her kids, and it really hurt being away from them. I only met the ex once, at a Christmas party, and I asked him how he finds time to take care of them, he goes “ That’s why I hired a maid”-I damn near knocked his teeth out, seriously, Becky comes over and goes “Catfish, you’re not helping” she was right of course, but what was I supposed to do?
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
[laughing heh, heh] Jim decked me for that. That took balls. Most folks got more sense than to mess with the Cat.
[instrumental]
I’ll always remember that night on the beach, cupping her breast in my hand, and feeling her tremble as I rolled on top of her, I put my fingers to her lip and said “Becky, I’d never do anything to hurt you”
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
[instrumental]
I had an accident a while ago. It was a skiing accident, sort of, I don’t really want to go into it, but I was laid up in the hospital for three weeks, and by the time I got out with the bills and everything, they’d taken everything. So you start over, this is America, you can always start over, they haven’t fucked that over yet. You work twice as hard, and twice as long and eventually you can get back to where you where. Time and Effort, Heart and Soul, that’s all it takes, people are doing it every day. But I’m asking around and I learn that Becky’s lost visitation rights of her kids, so she’s gone, and nobody seems to know where, and Jim’s got a new job in St Louis, so he’s gone down river, and I’m walking around St Paul feeling like a ghost or something. So what do I do? I pick up and go to Chicago, why? Because I’m a jackass, that’s why.
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
But yeh, Becky’s here in Chicago, somewhere. I’ll never see her again, I know that, but she’s here, somewhere. Jim and Becky were living together when I first met her ,and Jim was my best friend, we go way back, and I kind of got in the middle of all that, and it just makes me feel sort of sick thinking about it, I mean I’d never do anything to hurt Jim, or Becky. Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and it feels like you’ve been wrong about everything. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it?
[short instrumental]
But yeh, Becky’s here in Chicago chasing her Dream, and I’m just hoping she can get by, without, you know all the things that can happen, and I’m wandering around with a lot of free time and a notebook in my hand, writing down “the Greatest Love Song ever written!”, when it finally dawns on me – Catfish! You’re a Bluesman, what the Hell do you know about Love?..
but I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
I’ll pray for you girl like I never prayed before, because this time I know it’s real, You are – Becky .. on the road
One of the guys grabs his coat, throws it over his shoulder, goes over to the cash register, buys a cup of coffee from Boss Lady and leaves it on the table next to Catfish’s empty tip jar, he puts on his coat and walks to the door, the other guy gets up and walks to the door also, they exit as a couple.
Awkward Guy: Sue, do you want another cup of Coffee? I’d be glad to get it for you.
Sue (blushing): Actually 5 cups was too much I think (runs off to the restroom)
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