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.

LIST OF SONGS

1. FULL MOON KILLER
2. SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD
3. EVERY DAY’S A RAINY DAY
4. DO YOU THINK THAT IT’S ALL RIGHT?
5. THE MAN WHO ROBBED THE GOLD TRAIN
6. WE HAD A GOOD THING GOING
7. THE MAN WHO ROBBED THE GOLD TRAIN
8. LONDON TOWN
9. GUNS IN THE VALLEY
10. LEAVE THE WAY THAT YOU CAME
11. RUNNING AWAY
12. RIOT MUSIC
13. YOU’VE GOT TO TRUST SOMEONE
14. SATURDAY’S BLUE
15. TIME TO KILL
16. THE TIME HAS COME
17. DOLL’S HOUSE
18. THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN
19. PAYBACK TIME
20. BLESS ME FATHER I HAVE SINNED
21. JAMES GANG
22. HOME
23. HOLD ON TO LOVE
24. A LETTER TO THE TIMES
25. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE RAIN
26. I MISS YOU
27. THE WAY THAT I LOVE YOU
28. THE MARK OF CAIN
29. SAVE THE DAY
30. KING OF MY HEART
31. A GUN AND A GIRL
32. TAKE YOUR DADDY’S CAR

We went out walking, Frankie and me; no-one was talking
Out through the cemetery, deep into Devil’s Wood, we found a shrine
Under the willow, quietly billowing over the whispering Tyne

Lying inside a rusty old crate
I saw a Red Ryder gleaming beside a Texan 38
Cap guns and pop guns to honour a life
Roy Rogers shotgun, my kid brother’s got one; I had that Jim Bowie knife

Frankie had stolen all kinds of things
The river was swollen; it never stopped raining that spring
He kept his secret hidden from sight
Deep undercover, hidden from lovers who stroll there on long summer nights
Deep into Devil’s Wood; deep into Devil’s Wood

As we were walking back into town, I got a warning
Frankie said “don’t let me down
If you betray me, I’ll build you a shrine
Under the willow, quietly billowing over the whispering Tyne
Deep into Devil’s Wood; deep into Devil’s Wood”

Scene 2 [Lucille narrates as Jimmy and the gang 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 on the front row as Lucille narrates.]

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 two years before Lucille kept her end of the bargain.

[Lit by a cinema projector beam, Jimmy and Lucille re-enact their first date.]

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 the lights fade. When they rise, only Lucille and Sonny remain in the cinema.]

LUCILLE [A monologue]
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 3 [Jimmy and Sonny stand in a churchyard at their father’s funeral. Lucille joins them.]

JIMMY From here I can see Paradise. Down there by the weapons factory. Dad worked there when he was courting Mam. Each Friday after work he’d walk down Scotswood Road to meet her. In those days there was a pub on every corner. Some weekends he never made it.

LUCILLE Today was set in stone the day your mam left.

[Lucille removes Sonny’s hat from his head as he 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 take on the world.

SONNY Can we go to Tombstone?

JIMMY Tombstone, Dodge, Deadwood. All those places.

SONNY You promise?

JIMMY On my life, Sonny. The James Gang will ride again.

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 4 [Jimmy and Sonny wander through the estate. Lucille looks on.] LUCILLE Jimmy couldn’t find regular work; his reputation saw to that.
I overlooked his misdemeanours. As far as I was concerned he was just 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 catches up with Jimmy and Sonny.]

EVERY DAY’S A RAINY DAY

JIMMY If you have some cash to spare, advice pours in from everywhere,
Save it for a rainy day, save it for a rainy day

LUCILLE They’ll tell you when it’s gone, it’s gone; you’ll need something to fall back on
Save it for a rainy day, yeah a rainy day
Save it for a rainy day, yeah a rainy day
& JIMMY I just checked my balance sheet; I don’t live on easy street
Most my money goes on rent, some goes to the government
Every day’s a rainy day, yes every day’s a rainy day

LUCILLE Singing in the Tyneside rain; waiting on that gravy train

JIMMY I got blisters on my feet, trying to locate easy street

Up before the magistrate, because I made a payment late
The magistrate gave me a fine, I said stick it where the sun don’t shine

LUCILLE Every day is a rainy day
SONNY Stick it where the sun don’t shine
JIMMY Every day is a rainy day
SONNY Stick it where the sun don’t shine
LUCILLE Every day is a rainy day


Scene 5: [In a tower block flat, Jimmy and Sonny sit at a table. Jimmy picks up Sonny’s hat.]

SONNY Hey, you should never wear another man’s hat.

JIMMY Gotta respect the code, right?

Jimmy takes a gun from his waistband 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 Green’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 Enfield was standard issue during the war. The Boer War by the looks of it. 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. He’ll need this relic if he meets any resistance.

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.”

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?

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 6 [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 Oh 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 got an invitation to Johnny Raven’s new casino. I blew my dole money.
They gave me credit and I lost that too.

LUCILLE I wasn’t born yesterday, Jimmy. The King of the Tyne isn’t gonna say “Here’s a high roller, a lad on unemployment benefits! Come on in!” That ain’t happening. Johnny Raven wouldn’t let you anywhere near the place, unless you have something he wants?

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.

JIMMY I just need to find a way to pay them back. Can you talk to Flo? She’s connected, I just need to buy some time. .

LUCILLE Something’s not right here. Johnny Raven is not letting a lad from Rye Hill anywhere near the place, unless you have something he wants?

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.

JIMMY I just need to find a way to pay them back. Can you talk to Flo? She’s connected, I just need to buy some time.

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.

You’ve just turned nineteen. No-one was expecting you to take responsibility for Sonny after your dad died. You gave it your best shot, now you have to do what’s best for Sonny and, to be honest, you’re not safe to be around right now.

[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. Flowers don’t grow in the dark, they need sunshine, fresh air, open spaces.

JIMMY You’re right. I’ll see you later.

[Jimmy and Sonny exit. Lucille is approached by Flo Baxter.]

FLO Lucille, a good 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. Johnny 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. I’m the compere and I’ll support you through it. You’re hiding your talents here, Lucille. You have a great voice; the casino 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 7: ["The King of the Tyne" casino. Flo introduces Lucille to the stage on Nashville night.]

FLO Making her debut at the King of the Tyne is someone we’re going to see a lot more of in the coming months. From all the way across the water, give it up for Gateshead girl, Lucille.

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 8: [At the flat, Sonny and Jimmy sit at the table, eating breakfast.]
SONNY That gun of yours. Is that how you pay the bills?

JIMMY What do you mean?

SONNY Hold-ups. Armed robbery.

JIMMY I told you, that gun wasn’t mine. I gave it back to Frankie for the Makarov collection. What a fiasco that was. Didn’t I tell you about that?

I was on the warehouse 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 buried beneath 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 Enfield. 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 looked down and 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. Eventually the divers were called in.

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 9: [At the cinema, Flo stands on the stage. Lucille enters, fastening her coat.]

LUCILLE I’ll be off then.

FLO Thanks for your help.

LUCILLE Are you sure you don’t need a hand to lock up?

FLO No, you run along. I’m compering at the casino tomorrow so I’ll use the peace and quiet to work on my act.

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 casino.]

FLO 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, 41” was recently dumped in favour of Brenda, “overweight, 28” who quickly realised what a useless dishonest bastard he really is.

Florence is currently channelling that anger to help her succeed in a man’s world.

[Lights rise to reveal the casino, where Flo continues her act.]

“5 and 6. Was she worth it?”

HAVE YOU HEARD 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 10 [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 night at the coast.

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.

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
I heard that train was bulletproof; I heard that train was armour plated

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, how did you get past the armed guard?

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 the man who shot the Jones Gang
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train
You’re not that ruthless desperado
You’re not the man who robbed the gold train

Scene 11 [Night falls on the coast as Jimmy walks alone, pondering his future.]

LONDON TOWN

JIMMY If I stay here pa, all I’ll do is hope I don’t turn into you
If I stay here pa, all I’ll do is make the same mistakes as you
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town

The shipyard or the factory, that ain’t where I want to be
The shipyard or the factory, there’s something else out there for me
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town
When I get there I’ll find everything I’m dreaming of
And I’ll come back home for the girl that I love

If I stay here pa, all I’ll do is pray I don’t turn into you
If I stay here pa, all I’ll do is fuck up my life just like you
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town

Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town
Gonna ride down to London town, gonna ride on down to London town


Scene 12 [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? That’s crazy. Yes, I was angry about Lucille working for him. I couldn’t sleep because of it. I drove to the casino to warn him that Frankie was probably alive and looking to get even. I hoped that information might be enough to settle the debt without involving Lucille.

SONNY You stole a car?

JIMMY I borrowed it from a couple in the next room. They were sleeping like babies.

SONNY A getaway car!

JIMMY No! Look, I didn’t even get to see Johnny, I was turned away by the goons on the door.

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 hitmen 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.]

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 Hil

l 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 slips out into the night.]


Scene 13: [Jimmy enters the cinema. Lucille senses that he is in danger.]

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 14 [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!

JIMMY Frankie must have walked into the casino last night and shot Johnny.

SONNY You tell great stories but that’s all they are! I mean Russian dolls and furry hats, for fuck’s sake!

JIMMY I’m the lookout who never raised the alarm. That’s more than enough to make Frankie believe I ratted him out.

SONNY Whenever you fuck up you blame Frankie Green. You made him up to cover for your mistakes.

JIMMY Frankie Green was our paper boy tonight. He delivered a threat: 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’m innocent. I didn’t shoot anyone and one day I’ll prove it but right now no-one’s going to listen. Don’t talk to Flo Baxter 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.

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’m run-run-running, run-run-running, running away, I’m running away

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

I’m run-run-running, run-run-running, running away, I’m running away
I’m run-run-running, run-run-running; I’m run-run-running, running away

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

I’m run-run-running, run-run-running, running away, I’m running away
I’m run-run-running, run-run-running; I’m run-run-running, running away

[Jimmy runs for a train. Sonny runs to the cinema. He enters through the side door and, moments later, a fire starts. Lucille narrates.]

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.


Scene 15 [Three years later, 15-year-old Sonny stands by the gates of Red Gate school.]

RIOT MUSIC

SONNY I dropped some matches at the cinema that night
Stood in the back street as the whole place set alight
The gang from Rye Hill were attracted by the glow
They came by just to watch the midnight show

I stared in wonder at the moon no longer pale
And through the thunder I could hear those sirens wail
We moved in closer to the barricades
The fire exploded but the Rye Hill boys wore shades

I wanna hear more riot music; I wanna hear more riot music

I loved that cinema; it meant the world to me

The only place I could escape reality
And as the firestorm rained down from above
I wondered why we destroy the things we love

I wanna hear more riot music; I wanna hear more riot music

[Tina appears on the other side of the gates. She hands Sonny a small packet.]

& TINA I wanna hear it, nothing comes near it
I wanna hear it, nothing comes near it

TINA Every Saturday we all stood in line
We waited happily beneath the neon sign
SONNY The world is nothing but a Technicolor lie
And that’s the reason why I lit the midnight sky

I wanna hear more riot music; I wanna hear more riot music

[Tina exits as a preacher, Vincent, approaches.]

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.]

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 16 [Somewhere in London, Jimmy is missing home.]

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 17 [At Red Gate, Sonny and Vincent sit on a bench in the schoolyard.]

VINCENT 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 eighteenth 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 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.

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.]