p. 1 THE STORY OF JO-BETH: SELECTED LYRICS book, music, lyrics by Daniel Maté “WOE-VERTURE” (instrumental) “DON’T MIND ME” Jo-Beth has fled her home in Wilmore, Kansas after an uncanny series of calamities turned her from All-American hometown hero to scapegoated town pariah. Alone in the wilderness, she tries to get her bearings. JO-BETH HOWDY, BULLFROG. WHAT’S THE NEWS? YOU PRETEND LIKE YOU’RE NOT HERE, BUT I HEAR YOU CROAKING. GO ON, BULLFROG. SING YOUR BLUES. I’D SING YOU MINE, BUT YOU’D JUST LAUGH, YOU’D SAY “THAT WHITE GIRL MUST BE JOKING.” ‘CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY PIECE OF ROTTEN LUCK HAS FOUND ITS ROTTEN WAY TO FIND ME. NOW I’M BRANDED AND I’M STRANDED AND I’M STUCK. BUT DON’T MIND ME. Scene: we flash back to soon after the oddly localized storm that destroyed much of Wilmore. The new mayor struggles to make sense of what’s happened. Back in the “present”, JO-BETH continues her slow moonlit trek into exile. JO-BETH HEY THERE RODENTS, MOUSE AND MOLE. AND SQUIRREL AND BAT, AND PRAIRIE RAT, www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 2 AND GOPHER TOO. I’M WITH YOU NOW. I’M A KINDRED SOUL. YEAH, BUT YOU DON’T LOVE ME EITHER, SO I GUESS I’M OH-FOR-TWO! ‘CAUSE ALL MY LOVES ARE GONE, OR ELSE THEY DISAPPEARED WHEN THE WHOLE TOWN LINED UP AND MALIGNED ME! YEAH, APPARENTLY I SHOULD BE SHUNNED AND FEARED, SO DON’T MIND ME. Scene: another flashback to the mayor’s office, where a team of scientific experts are at a loss to explain what’s happened. They opine that the only explanation might be “supernatural”. People in Wilmore begin to suspect that Jo-Beth is somehow responsible. Back in the “present”: JO-BETH FIRST MY LIFE’S A GIFT, AND I’M THE WHOLE WORLD’S BLESSING! THEN A SUDDEN SHIFT, AND NOW I’M EVERYBODY’S CURSE! AND THE CLOUDS DON’T LIFT, AND THE RAIN KEEPS PRESSING! IT’S A BAD, BAD STORM, BUT BAD’S JUST GETTING WARM, BEFORE IT REALLY FINDS ITS FORM AND IT GETS WORSE! IT GETS WORSE! IT GETS WORSE! IT GETS — In flashback, a mob gathers in the town square. Their suspicions overlap and build. ANGRY MOB 1 THERE SHE IS. OVER THERE. LOOK AT HER. www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 3 MY GOD, IT’S... ANGRY MOB 2 HER. JO- BETH. YOU’RE RIGHT IT’S... ANGRY MOB 3 THAT THERE’S THE CAUSE OF OUR TROUBLE. SHE BROUGHT THIS PAIN AND THIS RUBBLE... ANGRY MOB 4A PST! I HEAR THEY CAUGHT HER. THE CHAPMANS’ DAUGHTER. I HOPE THEY GOT HER GOOD. ANGRY MOB 4B WHAT? WHO? OOO! GOD, I HOPE THEY GOT HER GOOD! ANGRY MOB 5 ONCE SHE IS GONE, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES! ALL ONCE SHE IS GONE, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES! GET HER! JO-BETH I DIDN’T HAVE THE CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE. I HEARD THEIR ANGRY CHANTS BEHIND ME! MOB AAAAH! AAAAH! JO-BETH I DIDN’T STOP, I DIDN’T ASK THEM: WHY? The angry mob disappears. Flashback ends. www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 4 JO-BETH is alone again in the wilderness. JO-BETH (CONT.) HELLO, BLACK FLY. NO ONE LIKES YOU. BUT YOU’RE EVERYONE’S BELOVED, NEXT TO ME. YOU LOWLY CREATURES, I HOPE IT STRIKES YOU AS HILARIOUS THAT WILMORE’S FAVORITE DAUGHTER’S ONE OF YOU NOW... SHE’S COMING THROUGH NOW... COME AND SEE. SHOW IS FREE. DON’T MIND ME. “SURVIVAL SKILLS” Both to comfort herself and to figure out how to make a camp, Jo-Beth recalls a camping trip she took with her boyfriend Eli before his unit deployed to Afghanistan. ELI IF YOU’RE GONNA SURVIVE OUT HERE, FIRST YOU’VE GOTTA PACK MORE LIGHTLY. GOTTA SUCK IT UP AND LEARN TO LIVE WITH LESS. JO-BETH Fine— (A loud animal noise is heard. JO-BETH screams and clutches at ELI.) ELI IF YOU’RE GONNA SURVIVE OUT HERE, THERE ARE NASTY NOISES NIGHTLY, AND IT HELPS IF YOU CAN SMILE, AND JUST SAY “YES”. JO-BETH “Yes.” www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 5 ELI YOU CAN’T CONTROL THE TERRAIN, OR CHANGE THE WEATHER. ALL YOU CAN DO IS TRY YOUR FIGHTING BEST TO KEEP YOUR SHIT TOGETHER — JO-BETH Hey. ELI OR AT LEAST, NOT DROP DEAD FROM THE STRESS BEFORE WE EVEN ARRIVE. JO-BETH Who’s stressed? ELI IF YOU’RE GONNA SURVIVE OUT HERE, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR GOOD SHELTER: A PILE OF BRUSH, SOME TREES, A ROCKY LEDGE. IF YOU’RE GONNA SURVIVE OUT HERE, YOU MAY FREEZE OR YOU MAY SWELTER, BUT A GOOD SHARP KNIFE CAN SAVE YOU. (MIND THE EDGE!) AND TAKE YOUR TIME WITH YOUR KNOTS; MAKE SURE THEY’RE STURDY. REMEMBER, FRICTION IS YOUR FRIEND. OKAY, THAT SOUNDED NERDY. (AND A LITTLE DIRTY.) BETH, JUST FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS, TAKE MY PLEDGE, AND YOU’RE GONNA SURVIVE! JO-BETH OKAY, I’M GONNA SURVIVE! Jo-Beth repeats Eli’s pledge line by line. ELI “I WILL NEVER... BUILD A FIRE... NEAR A GAS PIPE: THIS I SWEAR. www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 6 BOTH THIS I SWEAR!” ELI “I WILL NEVER... EVER, EVER... LEAVE MY FOOD OUT OVERNIGHT, OR FEED A BEAR!” JO-BETH WHO FEEDS A BEAR? ELI “I WILL ALWAYS... KEEP A COMPASS AND A MAP AND I WILL CARRY THEM NO MATTER WHAT I DO.” ELI JO-BETH “AND I WILL PRACTICE MY SURVIVAL SKILLS, I’LL PRACTICE MY SURVIVAL SKILLS, I’LL PRACTICE MY SURVIVAL SKILLS, I’LL PRACTICE MY SURVIVAL SKILLS, AND NEVER SHARE A SLEEPING BAG... AND NEVER SHARE A SLEEPING— ” What? ELI “...WITH ANYONE BUT YOU.” JO-BETH Eli. ELI Afghanistan’s a long way away. JO-BETH You’re gonna be fine. ELI It’s not that. It’s the thought of coming back, and you and me not being — of things being different. I’d rather die, Beth. www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 7 JO-BETH Please don’t talk like that. This moment is perfect. ELI I know... JO-BETH But? ELI But it’s shrinking. This moment. Right out from under us. JO-BETH (gently) Come here, Nature Boy. IF WE’RE GONNA SURVIVE OUT THERE, GOTTA HUDDLE UP REAL COZY. SAVE IT UP FOR WHEN IT’S COLD, AND NIGHTS ARE DIM. IF I FAIL OR I THRIVE OUT THERE, THERE IS ONE WHO REALLY KNOWS ME, AND WHEN I FORGET MYSELF, I’LL THINK OF HIM. BOTH WE CAN’T CONTROL THE TERRAIN OR CHANGE THE WEATHER. BUT JUST AS LONG AS I AM TRUE TO YOU, WE’RE NEVER NOT TOGETHER! SO WHEN LIFE IS DARK AND GRIM, WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE SINK-OR-SWIM, WHEN I’M FILLED UP TO THE BRIM WITH MY DESPAIR, I’LL KEEP YOUR LOVE ALIVE. I’LL KEEP OUR LOVE ALIVE, THIS I SWEAR! ‘CAUSE THIS LOVE, IT’S GOTTA SURVIVE. IT’S GOTTA SURVIVE. www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 8 JO-BETH YEAH, WE’RE GONNA SURVIVE...! JO-BETH Eli? (...) Eli. ELI has receded and disappeared, and JO-BETH is left alone in the present, alone. “THE LAST ONE WHO DESERVES THIS” As in the Book of Job, three friends come to counsel Jo- Beth. The first is Natalie Strong, née Zoë Farris, a local girl whose country music career is on the rise. Natalie has come back to lift Wilmore’s spirits after the disasters. She visits Jo-Beth at her makeshift camp outside of town and tries to comfort her. NATALIE WHEN I STARTED PRESCHOOL, I GUESS I WAS FOUR. OH, I WAS SO AWKWARD AND SHY. MY MOTHER WOULD WALK ME RIGHT UP TO YOUR DOOR, AND I’D CRY: “DON’T LEAVE ME HERE!” BUT THEN YOU WERE THERE WITH THAT GRIN ON YOUR FACE, AND GRABBED ME RIGHT IN BY THE WRIST; PARADED ME PROUDLY ALL OVER THE PLACE, AS IF ALL MY TEARS JUST DID NOT EXIST! AND SOON THEY DIDN’T EXIST. JO-BETH (brightening) You were a bit of a crybaby. NATALIE And you were two years old! But already you were so confident, so at home. And you always had this way of explaining everything. WHEN I WAS ELEVEN, ONE DAY, YOU SAT ME DOWN, A FACE FULL OF SERIOUS LOOKS. YOU HAD THIS BIG LIBRARY BAG. YOU’D REALLY GONE TO TOWN WITH THE BOOKS! www.danielmate.com Selected “Jo-Beth” lyrics p. 9 AND YOU SAID, “ZOË, LISTEN UP, WE NEED TO HAVE OURSELVES A TALK ABOUT CERTAIN BEES AND VARIOUS BIRDS.” YOU SHOWED ME SOME DIAGRAMS THAT CAME AS A SHOCK, AND TAUGHT ME SOME INTERESTING WORDS — SOME VERY INTERESTING WORDS! JO-BETH Hey, someone had to do it. NATALIE And guess what? That someone was always you. BETH, YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND. YOU WERE MY SOLE FRIEND. “SOLE” AS IN “ONLY”. S – O – L – E. YOU WERE MY LIFELINE. YOU WERE MY NORTH STAR. YOU WERE THE REASON THAT I EVER FELT LIKE ME. JO-BETH You were always a good friend to me too, Zoë. NATALIE It’s because of you that I even entered that singing contest. You encouraged me. I wouldn’t have a career without you! JO-BETH I’m really happy for you that things have worked out so well — NATALIE BETH, YOU ARE THE LAST ONE WHO DESERVES THIS! YOU ARE THE BEST.