Original subtitles

Subtitles by explosiveskull www.OpenSubtitles.org

- Hello? - Hello, Meg?

It's me,

Kathy Madison.

I hope you're awake, girl.

It's almost midday, for God's sake.

Of course, I'm awake.

Barely, I'd say.

Listen, Meg, I need you in my office in about an hour.

Can you make that?

Of course.

But why?

What's up?

I'll be waiting.

Don't be long.

♪ Naked telephone poles

♪ Can't describe

♪ The way I'm feeling about you tonight

♪ And a feeling on my back Like an old brown jacket

♪ Like to stay in school but I just can't hack it

♪ And I'm out on the street

♪ And I'm feeling like dirt

♪ She's afraid to get married

♪ Because she knows it's going to hurt

♪ And I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll is here to stay

♪ But who will be left to play

♪ Well, I dreamed I saw the king in a '53 Chevy

♪ Had a band on his mind

♪ And his hands looked pretty heavy

♪ And he rolled down his window I guess to say hi

♪ But I couldn't see his face

♪ 'Cause of the purple haze inside

♪ He was born to be the king, he was born to be the man

♪ And he died though he was holy

♪ Although I doubt he'd understand

♪ When I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll is here to stay

♪ But who will be left to play

♪ Yeah, yeah

♪ Adolescent pre-drug habit

♪ If it means guitar he's gotta have it

♪ And you got your ax and you got your group

♪ And your old man thinks it's a waste of loot

♪ And you wait all week for a Sullivan show

♪ And you see that's right where you wanna go

♪ And your homework is never complete

♪ You don't care

♪ 'Cause you have got the beat... ♪

Hey, Meg.

Glad you made it.

Hi, Kathy is in there?

- Can I go in? - One moment, please.

Ms. Madison?

- Meg is here. - Send her in.

Hi, Kathy.

Isn't that The Words on the cover there?

Funny, I was just listening to them.

He was like a god once upon a time.

A fallen god, I'm afraid.

Well, a rock god, nonetheless.

In fact, The Words are more popular now

than when Jake Lion was alive.

Do you remember that article you wrote

about The Words

and all that rock music from the '70s

when I first took over the magazine from my father?

Well, I dug it out of the vault.

Wow. That was a long time ago.

My first piece for Rolling Stone.

Are you still into Jake Lion and The Words?

Like any rock lover should.

You want to meet him?

Are you nuts?

He has been dead for over 40 years.

Well, that's what they say.

You know, when they first came to Paris,

my father did a special edition just on him,

put him on the cover.

Yes, I wasn't born yet.

That was the end of The Words.

Yeah. They tried to replace him,

but it was like putting someone other than Mick Jagger

to front the Stones.

True.

But the point is, Jake is dead.

He jumped into the Seine in front of a ton of people.

Really well.

And I never understood why

a rock star like him would commit suicide.

Rock star vertigo, maybe.

Listen, Meg,

do you know anything about The Phantom of the Opera?

I know it was a French boring story

we had to learn in school.

Why?

Well, just think about it.

I have a couple of important meetings,

but I'll meet you here,

at midnight.

The Class.

What the hell is The Class?

Well, you'll find out when you get there.

♪ The mother

♪ Of the outlaw

♪ Thinks about the time

♪ He had the mumps

♪ And she's really

♪ Very sorry

♪ And she hopes this has nothing to do

♪ With the way she brought him up

♪ And the outlaw

♪ He lies wounded

♪ As the doctor gives the police sergeant a nod

♪ And the last words

♪ He was saying

♪ Something about

♪ I do believe in God

♪ And who

♪ Divides the oceans

♪ When a generation lost its place

♪ And who

♪ Sets the motion

♪ Of the human race ♪

Rum and Coke, please.

Coming right up.

Are you an actor?

What?

Have you seen me in something?

No, but honestly,

I never knew a bartender who wasn't an actor.

Do you know anything about theatre?

I know I've done a lot of auditions.

So, you know Phantom of the Opera.

Is it still on Broadway?

Mm. That's one I've never auditioned for, sorry.

But you know the story.

Let me see.

The Phantom is a guy in a mask

and he lives in the Paris sewers

when he is not swinging from Opera chandeliers.

And he is pissed off,

'cause he is a great composer and he got ripped off.

Or is that Cats?

Uh-huh.

Thanks a lot.

And good luck.

Thanks.

Kathy?

What?

I don't...

Kathy.

Kathy!

Excuse me.

Do you know Plynth the Persian?

Plynth?

That's him right over there.

Hey, Plynth!

Got a lady here who wants to talk to ya.

Are you Plynth the Persian?

Yeah. What can I do for you?

I just spoke with Kathy Madison on the phone.

She told me you maybe have something to tell me?

Oh.

I was talking to her about Jake Lion.

I was his personal roadie.

Used to help him on stage when he was too drunk to walk.

And I was with him in The Words

the year he disappeared.

And?

Well,

like I told Kathy,

Jake Lion is alive

and only I know where he is.

That's bullshit.

Jake Lion is dead for, what, 40 years?

You know, you're cute.

And you're a liar.

I never lie.

Except about the size of my dick.

So, finally, what's the story?

Well, here it is.

I'm finishing up a European tour with Vampire Weekend,

and I got a day off in Paris.

I'm on the metro.

Give me a Diet Coke, Rick.

The train pulls into Pere-Lachaise.

That's the big cemetery.

And I started hearing Jake Lion's voice.

Loud,

clear,

and live.

And I knew that voice.

It gave me goosebumps.

There was no mistaking it. It was Jake.

So, you saw a ghost.

Shit like that happens all the time,

especially when you are high enough.

I've been sober for 20 years.

And I knew Jake Lion better than anyone.

But why you didn't go back to see him?

I did go back the next morning.

Couldn't find him.

Then we left Paris. I mean, I was on tour.

But maybe it was, I don't know,

someone who wanted to be him

or an imitator. Or, I don't know...

No way. No way.

I was with Jake Lion and The Words

until the very end.

Did a three-month tour around the States

before he split to Paris.

He was planning a new album

and he was writing new songs like crazy.

And nobody ever heard him sing those new songs but me.

But, what does that really prove?

Prove?

He was singing one of those new songs

when I saw him on the subway. That's what it proves.

Are you Meg Trudeau, by any chance?

I am Meg Trudeau.

Why?

Somebody left something for you earlier.

Tickets for Paris?

Why? I don't want to go back there.

My God, it's not my home anymore.

Merde!

♪ You know my secret

♪ In a way I just try to be free ♪

I just received a message from Kathy Madison

to come and to see you before my travelling in Paris.

Good morning, Mr. Springsteen.

Good morning. Welcome to the great state of New Jersey.

Thank you.

So, it seems Kathy thinks

you can bring Jake Lion back to life.

That would be a good trick. He's been gone for quite a while.

But how did you meet him?

We met in the early '70s.

We were probably 22 years old.

Two of us were just kids.

He was with his group, The Words,

and I was

solo act at the time.

But his style was...

Was more like... I think they signed the two of us

to be new Dylans together actually, at the time.

That was Everybody's Looking For Somebody.

And, uh... Around 1972.

And did you play some music with him?

Not too much.

Jake let me open for him.

I opened for him a few times.

And... Which was pretty nice

because there wasn't a lot of people letting us

open for 'em in those days.

- Yes. - And...

But we hung around together quite a bit and...

I've... Just somebody I've felt really close to.

You know, I've missed him.

And, what do you remember about him?

What do you remember?

What can you tell me about what was he like?

Jake was...

Even back then, I would say, he was a little more miserable

than most artists, you know?

But he was a sweet guy.

He always had a... He had a sweet heart.

And,

an incredible lyricist.

And really,

just a great frontman, you know?

Really though, my wife actually

knew him better than I did.

'Cause she sang... Before she sang with the E-Street Band,

she sang backup in Jake's band for quite a while.

But he just disappeared like that.

That was one of the strangest things, you know?

Uh, and the strange...

It was just as he was

becoming really successful.

- Mmm. - You know?

And, I mean, it's not for everybody,

but he'd done all the hard work.

- Mm-hmm. - He had already done the hard work.

And, once he got there, for some reason,

- he slipped off the map, you know? - Yeah.

And, I heard it was Paris,

and I heard he jumped off a bridge.

I don't know what happened to him.

Yeah, it's really strange.

- Hi, Patti. I'm Meg. - Hi. Hi, Meg.

I work with Kathy Madison.

I have some questions.

Jake Lion disappeared like that.

Yeah. I hadn't seen him in a long time,

but, um, I heard that he...

Well, he jumped off a bridge in Paris.

Um, I wasn't singing with him at the time.

I had left the band, The Words,

way before that.

So you were not there when he jumped into the river.

No.

And when was the last time you saw him?

The last time I saw him, he was happy.

I think it was more of his...

He didn't like what came along with it.

Like fame. I think fame felt

very disruptive to him,

and made him go really inward.

But, if we were touring and on the bus with him,

he'd playing and singing and having the greatest time.

Yes.

But I heard, mm,

and I saw in an interview of Jake,

and he said it was easier for him to confront a failure

than to deal with success.

What do you think about that?

- It's... - It's complicated,

but I... I do think music was very natural to him

and that was his safe spot. His own music.

But, doing it in public,

and then, having the public be part of that equation,

felt...

I think it just never felt comfortable to him.

He was just never really comfortable with it.

Whatever the wolf at the door was for him,

it seemed to exist when he was with his audience.

- He was just... - Yeah, right?

He was just more private than most, you know,

for, considering...

for a job where you're...

putting yourself out in public on a daily basis.

But why do you think he could have committed suicide?

For me, I mean, I have my struggles with it.

You know? And most musicians or artists do.

But at the same time, I was determined, you know?

I felt our band was good enough that we deserved an audience.

And...

So, I just... I followed...

I followed that path.

And I just think it was a lot easier for me

than it was for Jake.

You know, for some reason,

Jake's, whatever his inner demons were,

or whatever you want to call them,

he was a lot more ambivalent

about the kind of success he was able to have.

♪ I knew my love was true

♪ Truer than I knew

♪ And only afterwards

♪ I was wounded by my words

♪ How badly I was hurt

♪ Tears in my ears For the things I said

♪ And the poison going round my head

♪ Making friends with the dead

♪ Making friends with the dead...

♪ From the moment of my birth

♪ When I landed on this earth

♪ And I crawled straight ahead

♪ Or to you was I led

♪ Making friends with the dead

♪ Making friends with the dead

♪ Are you my friend

♪ Or my mirror?

♪ If you're my friend

♪ Come nearer

♪ Make it clearer

♪ I knew my love was true

♪ And my desire to

♪ Take you in my arms

♪ Protect you from harm

♪ From everything That comes your way

♪ Are you here?

♪ Will you stay?

♪ I'm not asking you anyway

♪ I'm just waiting for a brand new day

♪ Or whatever else instead

♪ Making friends with the dead

♪ Making friends with the dead

♪ Making friends with the dead

♪ Making friends with the dead ♪

Meg Trudeau, I'm Joe Shipers.

Nice to hear from you.

I guess Kathy Madison got in touch?

Yes, she did.

Pretty wild idea, if you ask me.

Probably a waste of Kathy Madison's money.

Although, I guess she can afford it.

So, I take it you don't think

Jake Lion could actually be alive and well

and living in Paris?

Isn't that what they said about Jacques Brel?

Are you free for dinner?

I'll tell you exactly what I think

and what I know.

Hmm.

So, you're English.

Correct! What gave me away, the accent?

I've been here so long, I thought I sounded French.

So, why Paris?

Wine, women, and song, I guess.

Come on.

I was working for a label in London,

and they needed someone in the international department who spoke English.

So, in Paris, je suis Anglais, je parle Anglais.

Been here ever since.

And you worked with Jake Lion.

I was supposed to be his liaison here in Paris.

Make sure he didn't get into too much trouble.

And he threw himself into a river?

I hate to say it,

but you didn't do too good a job.

You think so? I fucked up, did I?

Yeah, maybe not.

But there were lots of other people there when he did it.

- And you weren't there. - No. Not at that moment.

So I don't really know what happened.

I'm asking because there still seems to be some questions

about whether his body was even found or not.

The answer is yes and no.

What do you mean?

It's not really a dinner conversation.

I've got a strong stomach.

Come on.

Okay.

So, a corpse bobs to the surface

about a year later, in terrible condition.

Eyes gone, nose gone. You don't want to know.

There's more bodies floating in the Seine than you would imagine.

Suicides?

Yeah. For lonely people, the river is a friend.

So, how did this particular body become Jake Lion?

Simple, really.

Someone at that morgue had to identify the corpse.

Jake Lion's name was among the missing.

Voila! Case closed.

And that's the body buried at Pere-Lachaise?

Exactement.

But apparently, he had a brother

who came over to identify the body, right?

Yeah. I think the record company had something to do with that,

but I don't know the details.

It was above my paygrade.

The record company?

Yeah. Jake Lion dead meant lots of records could be sold.

Jake Lion just missing?

Meant nothing.

And the record label, the company I was working for here in Paris,

they paid for the burial

and they gave Jake's brother, who is broke,

quite a lot of money to sign off on the royalties.

Win-win situation.

For everyone but Jake Lion.

But still, nobody understands

why this guy would take his own life.

Including me.

It wasn't even drugs, so why do you think he did it?

Honestly, I don't know.

But I do remember

there was an insurance policy.

Our head office in the USA canceled it

because rumor had it,

Jake had a terminal illness,

was dying,

and his brother was the beneficiary.

I do remember that.

Be that as it may,

we decided on this side of the pond, to keep paying the insurance.

But why did you guys do that?

Because Paris isn't New York, is it?

Speaking of which,

you should let me show you around Paris.

I hope you take better care of me

than you did Jake Lion.

Oh, I can guarantee you that.

♪ Sometimes I see that you and me

♪ Are worlds and worlds apart

♪ Life moves so fast

♪ As we try to get past

♪ The mountains in front of our hearts

♪ When I'm behind you

♪ And you're behind me

♪ And we're some kind of team now

♪ In spite of what we see

♪ So let me in when you're happy

♪ Let me in when you're sad

♪ Let me in when you're the best one

♪ Let me in when you're bad

♪ Let me in when I need you

♪ Let me in when you need me... ♪

It's so beautiful.

I never could believe

that the Phantom actually lived there.

I think he lives on Broadway now.

Kathy Madison thinks Jake has something to do with the Phantom.

Like he is a Phantom?

Like there is a mystery I have to solve.

Hmm.

If Jake Lion is alive, the only mystery is

why that bloke is not in Beverly Hills

hanging out by a swimming pool.

Maybe he didn't want all that.

You're saying a metro is a cooler place to hang out?

Well, you know, he came from the military.

What do you mean?

I was googling him last night.

Divorced parents, father in the army,

a brother somewhere, messed up.

If you were Jake Lion, wouldn't you have resurfaced?

Why now?

Take a victory lap, reap the rewards

instead of playing in a Paris metro,

if that's where he actually is.

Well, that's better than living down in the sewer

like the Phantom.

I know where the Phantom used to live.

Tell me where you used to live.

Believe me, I've been there.

What do you mean?

I kind of lived in the depths myself.

You see, I lost both of my parents too soon.

I felt lost, too.

And there was a man

who took me under his wings

and turned my nosedive

into a pretty painful crash landing,

so to speak.

For that reason,

I need time to feel safe.

♪ You wanna dance?

♪ Go pay the piper

♪ And let the passion

♪ Take you higher

♪ Coming down

♪ Real life can seem so bland... ♪

I think I should just go back to New York, Joe.

I've been searching the metro for days,

but I can't look in every station.

That would take forever.

Listen, I have an idea for you.

There's a bar up in Pigalle.

It's where all the buskers hang out.

Why don't you go up there and see what you can find out?

You want to tag along?

Not really.

I've got too much work.

And I think you'll do better up there on your own.

Wear a short skirt.

Fuck you.

Hey, mate, pour me a beer.

Excuse me. Do you play in the metro?

Sometimes. Today I did.

Not much money there anymore.

Chinese don't go for my music, I'm afraid.

What kind of music do you play?

Flamenco.

But heavy metal flamenco, like Morente.

Okay.

I'm looking for a musician who plays in the metro.

American guy.

Looks like a holdout from the '70s.

He plays guitar. Long hair.

Sounds like me.

Yeah, something like you.

Well, there is this guy.

I sometimes hear him at Pere-Lachaise on Fridays.

- What's today? - Thursday.

Try at around 9:00,

when everyone is going to work.

- That's the best time. - I will. Thanks a lot.

Save your change,

your beer is on me.

Gracias, guapa.

Tell me,

why are you looking for him?

I'm carrying his baby, what else?

♪ And every step of the way

♪ You'll have something to say

♪ To justify your time

♪ And save your place in line

♪ An adolescent complaint

♪ You think you are what you ain't

♪ Hold on to that thought

♪ See what your god has wrought

♪ You start a sentence with I

♪ I, I, I, I

♪ So get me out of this place

♪ Back into the human race

♪ Across the finish line

♪ So many left behind

♪ So many things undone

♪ By the prodigal son

♪ I got a new guitar

♪ It's gonna take me far

♪ Tear down this wall

♪ Seven miles tall

♪ The golden ratio

♪ Go, go, go, go, go, go, go

♪ No time to explain

♪ I'm running from the pain

♪ And you're the reason I'm here

♪ To do the things that I fear

♪ I'm your mystery man

♪ And you're the queen of Siam

♪ Tick tock, tick tock...

♪ I'm your mystery man

♪ You're the queen of Siam

♪ Hold on to that thought

♪ What your god has wrought

♪ Tick tock, tick tock

♪ Tick tock, tick tock... ♪

That's American money, honey.

Maybe you're gonna need that when you get home.

Sorry, I don't have any euros,

and I suppose you don't take American Express?

Sure.

Amex, Mastercard, Visa.

You give me the card, I'll take it with me.

Can I talk to you for a moment?

I don't know.

I'm kind of busy now,

can't you see?

Can't leave the store unattended.

So, can I offer you a drink?

I already have a drink.

You want some?

But I'd really like to ask you a few questions.

Yeah?

Questions about what?

About the old times,

Jake.

I don't know what old times you might be referring to,

and my name is not Jake either.

So why don't you just get on, move along,

and go visit Jim Morrison's grave

with the rest of the tourists?

I am not a tourist,

I'm a journalist.

And I'm here to write a story.

I don't care who you are or what you do.

And I suppose you're just one more American

poking her nose into other people's business.

Now, if you want to buy me a drink,

I might accept your hospitality.

But if you call me Jake again,

I might slit your pretty little throat.

I don't have a lot to lose at this point.

You got a temper.

- Sometimes. - Okay.

I'm sorry if I offended you.

Let's start over.

I'm Meg Trudeau,

and I write for Rolling Stone magazine.

And I think you have a great voice, whoever you are.

A real music lover, eh?

Yes, I like music,

and I write about music,

especially your kind of music.

Hold on, you've got some kind of a French accent.

Are you bullshitting me?

Not at all. I am French.

But I work in New York, I live in New York.

In fact, I wish I was in New York now.

Well, then I'd say

you're some kind of mixed up, shook up girl.

Sounds like the title of a song.

It is. Willy DeVille.

- Dead now. - Should have known.

You said something about buying me a drink?

Mm-hmm.

Let's go.

I got it.

What do you want?

Okay.

No, only for today.

Do you know Jake Lion?

I know he's dead.

Buried over there.

Next to his buddy, Jim Morrison.

Like I said,

you can go pay him a visit if you want.

I'm sure he'd be thrilled if you sit on his...

grave.

He threw himself into the Seine, didn't he?

That's right.

But they didn't bring him to Pere-Lachaise

until a year later.

The river takes its time burping up its dead.

So, you seem to know a lot about him.

Jesus Christ! You almost stabbed me

when I mentioned his name.

I don't like being disturbed when I'm working.

And there's something else.

Jake Lion, he was my brother.

So, you are the brother the record company paid off?

I'm the only brother Jake Lion ever had.

And I drank that money away a long time ago.

I'm Erik Lion.

- So, what are you doing here? - What do you think?

Playing my guitar in the metro.

You're not too observant for a journalist, are you?

I've been living in Paris for 40 years.

Came over

when they finally found Jake's body.

Someone had to identify it.

And that someone was me,

his brother, Erik.

Got it?

Oh, shit.

This is not going to go down well at Rolling Stone.

Kathy won't be happy at all.

- Kathy Madison? - You knew her?

Not me.

But I knew that her and Jake were more than friends at some point.

Mind you, personally,

I never went for those rich chicks

pretending to be hippies.

Used to call them "Trust fund babes."

Funny that Kathy never told me Jake's brother is alive.

Or maybe I've been dead a long time too,

'cause no one has heard from me in years.

I'm like a ghost.

Like the Phantom of the Opera?

Yeah.

Like that guy who put on a mask,

hid from the world,

because he was so fucking ugly

and deformed.

He was a genius

but nobody cared.

And Kathy Madison,

the rock 'n roll heiress,

has sent you here to find Jake Lion.

What, does she still got a thing for him?

Or is it just, uh...

necrophilia or some shit?

Someone told us he was alive

and he saw him here, in Paris,

but it might be you that he saw.

Who told you that crap?

A guy called Plynth.

Apparently, he was a roadie for The Words.

Plynth the Persian, Jake's nanny.

He told us that he heard you singing a song of Jake

that had never been recorded.

In fact, something he wrote shortly before he died.

Okay.

Now, I'm going to tell you something very few people know.

It was me who taught Jake how to write songs,

how to write lyrics,

how to put them with the chords, all of that shit.

In fact, most of those The Words songs

were co-composed by both of us.

I knew those songs better than anybody.

And, in fact,

years after I left the band,

and before Jake killed himself,

he would send me cassettes of those new songs

to approve or improve.

Don't I have a right to sing them?

Looks like you just blew my Pulitzer Prize.

Sorry.

Hey, Max, la note.

So, what now?

I got an idea.

How about the story of Jake Lion told by his brother?

That wouldn't be too bad an angle either.

Why the fuck would I want to do that?

Let his poor soul rest in peace.

Isn't that what he wanted?

Look,

everybody thinks Jake went crazy for no reason.

Maybe you could throw a light on that.

Like a fresh insight on an old story.

There's nothing fresh about a dead man.

I'm willing to pay you for your time.

But that's an insight that could interest me.

How long are you going to be here?

Three more days.

Okay.

Here's the deal.

You got three appointments

at the place and the time

I say.

But what you gotta do now...

Alright.

By the way, do you live near here?

A place I could visit?

No way.

Where I live has got nothing to do with Jake Lion.

And the last thing I need

is Kathy Madison knocking on my door.

I was hoping you'd say that you lived in the cemetery.

Another good angle for the story.

Brilliant angle.

I gotta go.

What did you say your name was, again?

Meg Trudeau.

Okay, Meg Trudeau,

I'll see you tomorrow.

Notre-Dame.

In the garden, in the back.

Five o'clock, sharp.

Don't be late.

Don't bring anyone.

And no photos

or I'm gone.

Just one question before you go.

Come on, I gave you an advance.

What happened to your legs?

My legs?

I guess I missed my polio shot.

And you believe him?

I mean, I believe he's not Jake Lion.

This guy's not a rock star, he never was.

He is just playing for change in the metro.

But he could be Jake's brother.

The story kind of makes sense.

That's not what I mean.

I mean, how do you know he's not just some guy

playing the guitar in the metro,

nothing to do with Jake Lion or his brother? Just a nobody.

I don't think he is a nobody.

I think he is somebody with a story to tell.

Are you sure?

I'm not. But actually, you knew him.

You should come along with me next time.

No excuses.

♪ Are you feeling that down today?

♪ Is there nothing anybody can say?

♪ Is there not one place where you feel comfortable

♪ Put your feet up and feel full of what life is?

♪ And are you feeling that the future has passed?

♪ And left you in its path

♪ Like a hurricane through a Florida town

♪ Where all the tall trees just fell down

♪ And are you feeling that you just can't move

♪ That you got nothing left to prove

♪ And that you passed the test

♪ You lasted longer than the rest

♪ In the open field

♪ Where the lightning had the best chance

♪ Of getting hit

♪ Of getting blissed-out

♪ In the land of Nod

♪ Of getting blissed-out

♪ In the land of Nod

♪ Of getting blissed-out

♪ In the land

♪ Blissed-out in the land

♪ Blissed-out in the land

♪ Of Nod ♪

You frightened me.

I've been waiting an hour.

I've always been here.

I tried to blend in with the gargoyles,

on top of the church.

- Do you mind if I record our conversation? - Oh, no.

- No way. - Why not?

Liabilities.

Liabilities of what?

Claims, lawsuits.

You know, sometimes I drink too much.

Really?

You could have fooled me.

And I might say something I shouldn't say.

And if that goes down on a tape recorder...

You remember what happened to President Nixon.

What happened to Nixon?

No. Nothing.

Okay. I'll try to get down everything you say

as accurately I can.

I hope I can at least

take some notes?

Yeah, as long as there is no microphone

hidden in your pen.

One, two, three.

So,

what did Jake look like

when you went to identify his body?

Hmm.

Nice first question.

Well, let's just say that being underwater for a year

didn't do much for his complexion.

Not much was left of his face.

But he broke his arm when we were kids,

fell from a tree.

And I could still see the scar there.

So, that kind of nailed it,

and I signed off on some bullshit papers,

put his body in my backpack, and walked out.

Really?

No. Jesus Christ.

We buried him in Pere-Lachaise

'cause his friend said he liked to hang out there.

I think the record company pulled some strings

to get him in there.

And when that was all done, you just stayed in Paris?

Because there was no reason to go home again.

The United States is not the best place

for a disabled person.

If you're not Superman, you're kind of screwed.

I inherited his guitar,

and the record company gave me some cash to keep me quiet.

Quiet about what?

Oh, I mean, I signed off on his royalties,

promised not to bother them anymore.

And Paris became your home.

A home

implies some kind of stability,

so I wouldn't say that.

Come on, let's take a walk.

Do your legs bother you?

No, but sitting next to this damn church does.

So, what kind of guy was Jake?

Jake?

He didn't say much

even when he was a kid.

But I remember him saying to me once

that his songs

knew more about him

than he knew about his songs.

For some reason, I imagined him as a tough guy.

But things got to him all the same.

I mean, don't things get to everyone?

You know,

to be a rock star,

you need strong ears

and a thick skin.

But brains, talent...

that's optional.

So, what's so great about playing in the metro?

What's so great about playing in Madison Square Garden?

Did you ever play in Madison Square Garden?

Uh, no. Not me.

But I saw Jake play there.

And all he could see was the first four rows.

And that was full of music business people.

And he didn't like that.

Well, Jake said that when you first get into the business,

you know, you're so impressed

by these big shot executives

'cause you think

they control your life.

But then,

one day you realize

you want to play for the real people.

Are you talking about you or about Jake now?

What's the difference?

There is no music without business.

Sounds like a typical loser's philosophy to me.

You know what?

I think you're trying to provoke me.

That was Jake's thing.

I was never into that.

So, Jake wanted the stardom.

Well, he fell for the glitter and the gloom like they all do.

But what he couldn't stand were the inconsistencies.

He told me he'd be onstage

singing for thousands of people,

and then he'd be back home, in a hotel,

trying to find something to watch on TV.

Said he couldn't stop the screaming

in his ears.

Hey, bonjour, my friend.

Sacred objects. Gateway to the soul.

Well, you were saying that the pressure of being a star

or whatever it was you were describing,

is what drove Jake to commit suicide.

But, I mean, if he didn't like it,

why didn't he just retire?

Because if he had retired,

they never would have forgiven him.

The press would have hounded him forever.

But death redeems people.

To die is to be reborn.

Jake Lion is a legend now.

And he ain't never going to grow old.

♪ She said she felt guilty About her parents' divorce

♪ Said they blame it on her

♪ I said, of course

♪ Isn't that the way that these things usually end?

♪ And I could have been better

♪ I could have been worse

♪ In helping her to get rid of this curse

♪ I said, baby, it's too late to pretend

♪ Let go, Let go

♪ Forget about everything you used to know

♪ This world's turning so fast

♪ We forget so slow

♪ Baby, let go ♪

You know, had Jake been a Greek god up on Mount Olympus,

he would have been fine.

But if those gods had to come back to Holiday Inn

after doing their god-like shit all day long,

they would have committed suicide too.

You see, they turned Jake into a god,

and he was a good god.

But they didn't tell him

it's a one way ticket.

There's no way back.

The only way back

was to jump off that bridge.

So that's what he did.

Jake jumped off that bridge

so his legend would live.

You know what?

I'm getting tired. That's all I've got for today.

I just have a couple of more questions.

No.

No, no, no, no.

I don't have a couple more answers.

I'll see you tomorrow,

same time.

In front of the Opera.

♪ To call you like this

♪ It's too late, I know

♪ When you gotta get up

♪ Tomorrow

♪ And yes, I guess

♪ I can agree

♪ It was bound to end

♪ You and me

♪ But that's not what

♪ I want to hear

♪ You sound so sleepy

♪ And what I fear

♪ Is soon you'll hang up

♪ And I'll be alone

♪ Just give me a minute

♪ And stay on the phone

♪ And tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Then tell me

♪ Tell me ♪

Right.

He says he is the brother.

He knows about you and Jake.

Well, he might have mentioned it a couple of times

but I don't remember ever meeting him.

I thought he'd disappeared during the Vietnam War.

Just vanished or something like that.

So, what does any of this have to do with Phantom of the Opera?

I don't get it.

I thought it would be a good way to frame the story.

But if Jake is dead...

Seems that way.

So, I suppose you should be getting back to New York.

This trail is going nowhere.

Give me a few days.

I've been searching online, and there are hundreds of photos of Jake Lion,

but hardly anything about his brother, Erik,

aside from he is listed as a composer along with Jake

of some of The Words' songs.

Can't you find out anything?

Well,

I'll try,

but Jake's brother is not the story we want,

and it's not the reason I sent you to Paris either.

No, you expected me to find Jake Lion.

Why not?

So we beat on,

boats against the current,

borne back ceaselessly into the past.

If you start quoting F. Scott Fitzgerald to me,

I'm going to jump in the river too.

♪ Tell me

♪ Let me hear the words

♪ From your mouth to my ear

♪ And I start to tremble

♪ When you feel so near

♪ Let me hear you say

♪ What I want you to say

♪ Just give me this

♪ Don't take that away

♪ Tell me you love me

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me ♪

I have a meeting this afternoon with Erik at the Opera.

It's a good time for you to try and see if it's really him.

Okay, I'll play spy.

And can't we go to the police to find out the whereabouts

of this Erik Lion guy?

I've got a contact there. I'll see what I can do.

Thank you, darling.

You know better than that.

Look at this place.

The stories it could tell.

Like the one about the Phantom.

But I believe the Phantom of the Opera,

he was a rocker at heart.

Of course he was.

Kind of like Alice Cooper.

But the Phantom liked to play in the opera,

and I like to play in the metro.

And what happens if the police catch you playing down there,

in the metro without a license?

Nothing.

They leave me alone, Le flic, the cops.

At first, they used to throw me out.

I'd go upstairs, I'd be back here in five minutes.

You know, they're music lovers.

I sing them a song, they'll leave me alone.

They only throw you out if you can't sing.

But how did you know I didn't have a license?

I know you went to Vietnam, too.

Clever girl.

Doing your homework.

Ooh, naughty, too.

Come with me, quickly.

Where are you taking me?

Isn't this what you wanted to see?

The home of the Phantom of the Opera?

I could tell you about another monster while we're down here.

My father.

- How about that? - Your father?

Army lifer guy, retired as a three-star general.

Maybe that explains why Jake was such a rebel.

That doesn't explain shit!

You wanna play the shrink or do you want to listen?

I'm so sorry. Please, go on.

Jake and I, we grew up on Long Island.

The old man, he was out in Washington D.C.

One time, Jake and The Words,

they were playing a gig there.

So, Jake decided to pay him a visit,

I don't know in hopes of what.

And you know what happened?

The old man told him to get a haircut

and slammed the door in his face.

And yet, you just told me that your father had no effect on Jake.

Jake hardly reacted.

Well, he got into heroin for a year.

But finally,

the old man,

he just disowned him.

That was a big inconsistency for Jake.

I'm so sorry.

There's nothing to be sorry about.

C'est la vie, c'est la guerre.

Wait, let me help you with your guitar.

- No, no, no. - Give it here.

I got it.

I got it.

♪ Captain, they're calling

♪ They don't want us falling

♪ Behind

♪ There's no use in stalling

♪ There's no use in drawing

♪ A line

♪ Let's get out of this rice paddy

♪ Before I step onto some goddamn mine

♪ And we'll grab a jeep

♪ And watch the fall of Saigon

♪ And, hey, girl

♪ It's over

♪ And goodbye

♪ White cliffs of Dover

♪ Sail onto free lands

♪ The boys all

♪ Come home

♪ The call girls are crying

♪ As helicopters fly their loves away

♪ There's a panic at the embassy

♪ A bloodbath is coming they all say

♪ And what's come between us

♪ I try, I just can't get it on

♪ Love has turned to politics

♪ Like the fall of Saigon ♪

- Bonjour. - Bonjour.

Bonjour.

Let's see.

No.

I think, uh...

No.

Oh, yeah.

Will you look at this?

A smoking jacket.

Do you need a tuxedo? What for?

I got a formal event coming up.

So, how do I look?

You look

totally absurd.

No. But I mean in a good way.

Cool absurd.

Okay.

That's the look I'm going for.

You can pay the gentleman.

Subtract it from my fee.

- Merci. - Merci.

So, what are we doing here?

There's going to be a concert.

For whom?

For the locals.

You're joking.

I never joke about birds.

They used to be dinosaurs once.

And?

You can be in my dream.

If I can be in yours.

Bob Dylan.

Yeah, whatever makes you happy.

I can be happy in ways you couldn't imagine.

For instance?

Looking over Paris rooftops at night

when the city loses its human dimension

and everything makes sense.

Bonjour, Olivier.

Olivier...

What did you say your name was?

- Meg. - Meg.

Meg, Olivier.

Enchante.

Come on, let's get started.

The natives are growing restless.

I think most of your public are sleeping.

Even better.

Then I got nothing to lose.

Young lady, I reserve my private booth for you.

It's booth number nine.

Merci beaucoup, monsieur.

I wish you a big success.

Huh. Success.

Had the Phantom of the Opera stayed with his lover, Christine,

now that's what I'd call a success.

♪ A little touch of kindness

♪ For a start

♪ A little bit of sweetness

♪ It won't tear you apart

♪ You'll be there in a minute

♪ You believe me

♪ You'll be exactly

♪ Where you want to be

♪ With a little touch of kindness

♪ My face was disfigured

♪ At least I thought it was

♪ I was covered with shame

♪ I wasn't so tough

♪ Lost in the void

♪ Completely alone

♪ I heard your voice in the darkness

♪ And it warmed me to my bones

♪ A little touch of kindness

♪ For a start

♪ A little bit of sweetness

♪ It won't tear you apart

♪ You'll be there in a minute

♪ If you believe me

♪ You'll be exactly

♪ Where you want to be

♪ With a little touch of kindness

♪ Are you misleading

♪ Or are you playing a game?

♪ Well, then, what are the rules

♪ And does the winner have something to gain?

♪ It's the champion season

♪ Of the utterly confused

♪ Played on a mountaintop in India

♪ Or on the beaches of Veracruz

♪ It's a little touch of kindness

♪ For a start

♪ A little bit of sweetness

♪ That won't tear you apart

♪ You'll be there in a minute

♪ If you believe me

♪ You'll be exactly

♪ Where you want to be

♪ With a little touch of kindness

♪ Station to station

♪ Across the nation

♪ Lost my religion

♪ And my superstition

♪ All right

♪ All right

♪ All right ♪

Oh, Jake,

you really put yourself through a hard time, didn't you?

What happened yesterday?

You just disappeared.

I think he knew I was there,

and all of a sudden, I lost trace of both of you.

He dragged me into the sewers.

He seemed to know his way in that labyrinth.

Remember, the Phantom of the Opera

was also called the trap-door master.

I think that's his role-model.

He has probably been avoiding people for a long time.

I bet he is not here legally, whoever he is.

Did you recognize him?

Could have been Jake or anybody.

I took this photo yesterday when he was not looking.

It shows. I can't tell if this is Jake Lion from that lousy photograph.

My last meeting with him is today,

and really, I don't have much things to bring back to Rolling Stone.

It's a long story.

Yes, it's not easy to get to know someone in two days, is it?

No, it isn't.

But, as a journalist,

I can usually find out what makes people tick very quickly.

One interview is enough.

So, what is this Erik Lion guy actually like?

I don't know. In fact, I know very little about him.

I only know what he tells me Jake was like.

He thinks he is the Phantom of the Opera.

Do you know what the real name of the Phantom was?

- No. - Erik.

So, you must be the journalist.

I suppose so.

- Who are you? - Erik isn't coming.

He's not well today.

Sometimes he drinks so much that he can't even stand up.

Unfortunately, today is one of those days.

So, he asked me to come instead.

My name is Christine.

- Christine? - Yes.

Is something wrong?

No.

Yes.

Actually, he mentioned yesterday that name.

But I need to speak with Erik.

It was our deal.

I need to know more about Jake.

Well, nobody is perfect,

darling.

Anyway, Erik and I always speak in English.

Okay, whatever.

I think I can be of help.

Because I was there for that terrible...

- awful night. - The night when he...

When Jake Lion jumped into the river.

So, what happened exactly, that night?

Nothing happened.

One minute Jake was laughing,

and then I turn around, and he was gone.

Like he had flown away.

How did you meet Jake?

I was his friend in Paris.

His companion.

- You mean, his lover? - Hmm.

You get right to the point, don't you?

Yes.

But, at first, I fell in love with his voice.

A voice that make ends meet,

if you know what I mean.

So delicate and strong

at the same time.

Irresistibly triumphant.

You were kind of a groupie.

Say that name again,

and I'm history.

I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.

But tell me, what happened that night?

At first, it was amusing. We thought it was a joke.

♪ From the peninsula

♪ We stare across the bay

♪ From the peninsula... ♪

Just before that night,

Jake disappeared for a few days.

But it wasn't the first time.

And he would always return to my bed

without saying where he had been.

That night,

half a dozen or so friends had gotten together

and went for a stroll around the river.

When I asked Jake what he had been up to,

he said he'd been thinking about whether he should take his own life or not.

But we all laughed

when he said such a crazy thing.

I asked him what he had decided to do.

♪ Meet you half way

♪ And we waited for an hour ♪

I think

he had already chosen the spot he wanted to jump into the river.

Why do you think that?

Because, that is where the currents are the strongest.

Weird guy, huh?

What did you all do after he jumped?

What did we do? Well...

We stopped in a cafe and then we all went home.

Stopped in a cafe?

Home?

But didn't you do anything?

Like call the police or something?

No, not really.

I just went home

and waited for him to show up again,

like usual.

Soaking wet, drunk, and laughing.

But Jake never came back.

So, how did you end up with Erik?

Well,

I have to admit that at first,

Erik was a sort of substitute,

a replacement for Jake.

But,

as time went by,

you know, things happen.

I suppose coping with Erik is not easy with his legs

and his temperament.

He is a handful.

Well, there's days where I adore him,

and some when I don't.

Nobody is forcing me to stay,

but I do.

It's my choice.

Are they really similar?

Erik and Jake?

Well,

I'd say

they are both broken poet.

Quite moody.

For different reasons, I suppose.

But they are both pitiful.

Well,

it's all I can tell you.

By the way, Erik told me to ask you for the money you promised him.

Yes.

And tell him I didn't deduct the cost of the tuxedo.

It's a gift from me.

♪ Like a crystal ship

♪ The poet's words will stay

♪ Like a teenage nymph

♪ He gave too much away

♪ They used to find him

♪ In the morning

♪ With his head held in his hands

♪ And he'd be crying about Lolita

♪ He said no one's ever gonna understand... ♪

So, how's it going with your phantom man?

He didn't show up.

Instead, a Frenchwoman, who claimed she used to know Jake Lion turned up.

It's getting stranger all the time.

I don't know what's real or not.

You seem quite real to me.

Don't count on it, Joe.

You know I'm going home tomorrow.

Where do you go?

Well, now,

I promise not to disappear if you don't want me to,

or throw myself into the Seine or haunt the Opera.

At least not tonight.

Didn't any alarms go off when you were with Mr. Lion,

supposedly taking care of him?

- What are you getting at? - You must have seen

some signs, like, he was depressed,

or...

There was something.

I probably should have taken it more seriously,

but at the time, it seemed like a joke.

What are you talking about, Joe?

There was a meeting at the record label.

Everybody was there. The head of the label at the time,

lots of important people.

And Jake was there?

Yeah, of course. The meeting was about Jake.

What he was going to do. His band, The Words, had broken up,

and now he was in Paris.

It was really about the future of his career.

Someone made a stupid joke.

What kind of joke?

Something about...

Jim Morrison's death being a great career move.

That's kind of funny in a way.

Well, everyone laughed but Jake.

It was kind of awkward, really.

He left, went to the toilet,

never came back. Left us there waiting for him.

I lost him for a few days till that night on the bridge.

And you think that might have put the idea in his head.

I don't want to think about that.

You know, in Paris, Meg,

it's a tradition to have a glass of champagne

before you make love.

And, do you know, Joe, in New York, we fuck first.

Bravo, New York.

♪ I gotta go now

♪ And try to see

♪ I'm looking for the answer

♪ I'm gonna find that key

♪ So we can escape

♪ All these bonds and chains

♪ Walk in the sun

♪ Come out of the rain

♪ And if you want to know

♪ My favorite fantasy

♪ It's an endless night

♪ Just you and me

♪ And we'd be watching the stars

♪ And making a wish

♪ Never going to take

♪ That one last kiss

Off you go.

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Tell me

♪ Oh, let me hear the words

♪ From your mouth to my ear

♪ Then I start to tremble

♪ When you feel so near

♪ But let me hear you say

♪ What I want you to say

♪ Just give me this

♪ And don't take that away

♪ Let me hear the words

♪ From your mouth to my ear

♪ And I start to tremble

♪ When you feel so near

♪ Oh, let me hear you say it... ♪

Hi, Meg.

Finished with Paris?

Fuck you. I'm here, you see.

So, that's all I've got, Kathy.

This guy, he says he is Jake's crippled brother.

Also, you don't look very convinced.

Oh, well, it might be wishful thinking on my part,

but there has to be more to the story than this.

I don't know.

I doubt we will be able to find out much more.

This guy, Erik, he is very strange.

Well, don't give up too easily.

You told me to find out more about Erik,

so I tracked down Susan Philips.

Who is she?

Well,

apparently, Susan used to give music lessons to Jake and his brother

when they were kids on Long Island.

You have an appointment with her at 11:00, tomorrow morning.

You are kidding me.

Long Island?

You think this old music teacher can contribute anything?

Why, you never know.

I mean, it may make some kind of

baby boomer-generation story.

Those always work.

And anyway,

you may find out whether there really are two brothers or not.

Is this like an order?

Mm-hmm.

Long Island? Really?

Yeah.

I'll send my limo to pick you up, dear.

Feel better.

♪ I can't say that I love this place where I live

♪ This particular geographical location

♪ But I've grown used to it

♪ And now I miss it when I'm away

♪ Of course, when I was a kid

♪ My father would take me with him, down to the bowery

♪ Where the bums were

♪ And in the restaurant supply stores

♪ He would buy shiny steel refrigerators

♪ And deadly looking stoves

♪ While I begged him to take me to the army navy surplus stores on Canal Street

♪ To buy big dead bullets

♪ He wore a short corduroy jacket

♪ An informal hat with a puff of feather

♪ And he talked with his hands in his pants pockets

♪ Jangling change

♪ Driving in his Cadillac

♪ It was Elvis Presley's birthday

♪ They said it on the radio

♪ My father liked Elvis, and it was wonderful

♪ We drove through black neighborhoods

♪ On Long Island's North Shore when Elvis was alive

♪ My father was from Brooklyn

♪ And the Depression left its mark

♪ From picking up coal on the railroad tracks

♪ He didn't have a good word to say

♪ About Franklin Delano Roosevelt

♪ Later, I liked elegant hotel bars

♪ Where I could drink under F. Scott Fitzgerald's skies

♪ The coolest of the cool

♪ Never a child

♪ On Elvis Presley's birthday

♪ My dead father

♪ Jangling change

♪ This is an unreal city

♪ You can be anybody you want to be

♪ When you're alone ♪

- Susan Philips? - Yes, I am.

And you're Meg from Rolling Stone.

Please, come in. I've been expecting you.

These boys you're looking at

are Jake Lion and his brother, Erik.

About the age they were when they used to come to my house

for their music lessons.

I'll get some tea.

Thanks. That's really kind of you.

What exactly did you teach them?

Like all kids at the time,

beginner guitar and a little singing.

Jake didn't like to sing at that age. Too shy.

That's amazing.

They look very much alike.

Physically, yes.

Blonde hair, pale skin, skinny kids.

But very different characters.

Jake was shy and introverted,

whereas Erik was manipulative,

calculating.

He was behind all the mischief.

Were they both good musicians?

Yes. For their age and each in his own way, of course.

Jake was more sensitive, probably more imaginative.

Erik sang well.

And taken together, they were quite a pair.

And,

did they get along with each other?

Ah, adored each other.

Erik, being the older brother, looked after his brother.

They went everywhere together.

They lived just nearby, right down the block.

Father wasn't at home much, him being in the military.

Got divorced, and the mother...

Well, I think, married a car salesman.

Took them to Arizona.

I never would have heard of him again, if...

not for Jake becoming so famous despite his illness.

I taught dozens of kids in my day, but those two...

But... Excuse me. What disease?

Doctor said he had a degenerative disease

since he was very young.

Some kind of sclerosis,

that, over time, affects mobility,

particularly in the legs.

Another reason why Erik protected him so much.

Excuse me, but I think you're mistaken.

It's Erik who actually has that disease.

No, no. It was Jake.

Are you sure?

Of course I am.

Jake used to come in limping

when he came for his music lessons, even as a child.

I see.

And what about Erik?

Erik... Rumor had it

that he followed the father to Vietnam and never came back.

MIA.

Nobody ever heard from him again and they never found him.

Now I hear people go there on vacation, is that true?

I suppose.

Goddamn politicians!

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom

♪ Absalom... ♪

- Hi. - Hey, princess.

Where is her royal highness?

Did you bring the rest of my cash?

Well,

what happens next

depends on what you tell me now.

What are you saying? Did you find Jake or not?

I maybe found Jake,

but the Jake I found told me he was not Jake.

Who did he say he was?

He said he was Erik Lion,

Jake's brother.

Erik?

No fucking way.

That guy joined the army and disappeared.

Maybe he didn't.

And he went back to Paris to identify his brother's body.

And he just stayed there.

At least, that is what he claims.

That's impossible.

Erik made a stopover in Paris on his way to Vietnam.

That's when he identified his brother's body.

After that,

I don't know what happened.

Even the army couldn't find him.

Well, the guy I met,

Jake or Erik or whoever,

drinks like a fish,

gives concerts for the pigeons and walks with a cane.

See what I mean?

I told you it was Jake fucking Lion!

Why do you say that?

Because it was Jake who had that damn disease.

There was nothing wrong with Erik. Shit, the army took him.

But, what about the body Erik identified?

Who knows?

Probably some tramp they fished out of the river.

But the guy with the limp you found in the metro,

that had to be Jake.

Then, what that woman, his music teacher,

told me must be true.

So, Jake is pretending to be his brother.

Crazy like a fox.

This is a mind-blower.

You want something to drink, honey?

It's on me today. What would you like?

Rum and Coke.

Rick, rum and Coke for the lady.

- And a... - Diet Coke for you, Plynth?

No booze?

I'll tell you.

The famous drink liquor,

the idols drink water,

and the legends,

they don't drink nothing at all.

Well, I couldn't, and I didn't want to believe

that this old pitiful guy I met

was actually the mythical Jake Lion.

And when that Christine backed up his story...

Ah!

So you met the famous Christine.

Parisian groupie par excellence.

Do you know something about her, too?

Well, from the first time The Words played in Paris,

she stuck to Jake and kept buzzing around him

even when he'd tell her to bug off.

I bet she helped to put this whole disappearing act together.

She's a crafty one.

So, there might be a story here after all.

How bad were his legs?

Bad. He won't be walking for long.

You know, sweetheart,

I don't think this story is such a great idea anymore.

What do you mean?

Don't you want the rest of your money?

No story, no cash.

That's what Kathy Madison says.

Sure, I could use the money,

but I could also live without it.

Shit.

Maybe we should let Jake Lion stay a dead legend,

better than a living liar and a cripple.

People wouldn't forgive him for that.

And, you and I would end up not forgiving ourselves either.

Just think about it.

How are you going to feel when a shitload of paparazzi

descends on that metro stop,

and Jake is trying to get away on his cane.

I want no fucking part of that.

I can't believe you.

You're not as tough as you look.

Let the lion sleep tonight, like the song says, remember?

♪ In the jungle, the mighty jungle

♪ The lion sleeps tonight

♪ Naked telephone poles

♪ Can't describe

♪ The way I'm feeling about you tonight

♪ And a feeling on my back like an old brown jacket

♪ Like to stay in school but I just can't hack it

♪ And I'm out on the street

♪ And I'm feeling like dirt

♪ She's afraid to get married

♪ 'Cause she knows it's going to hurt

♪ And I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll is here to stay

♪ But who will be left to play

♪ Well, I dreamed I saw the king in a '53 Chevy

♪ Had a band on his mind

♪ And his hands looked pretty heavy... ♪

Sorry to call you so late.

Did you talk to Plynth?

Yes.

Back at the fabulous Class Bar.

I'm thinking of becoming a regular.

So, was it Jake or was it not Jake?

What difference does it make?

I think you always knew the truth, anyway.

The truth was up to you to find.

Just tell me, do we have an article?

Finally, I don't think so.

Are you sure?

Could make a great story.

Make your reputation.

Yeah, I'm sure.

Well, I guess that's the right decision.

But it was never up to me to make it.

Why don't you go to Paris and see him by yourself?

For the same reason that you're not writing the story.

By the way, I might be going back to Paris

to spend some time.

I thought it was full of bad memories for you.

Not so much anymore.

Well, what are you going to do there?

I don't know.

Fall in love.

Or,

sing old songs in the metro.

♪ He was born to be the man

♪ And he died though he was holy

♪ Although I doubt he'd understand

♪ When I say

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ There's the last of the rock stars

♪ And me and you

♪ Oh, oh, oh

♪ Rock 'n roll is here to stay

♪ But who will be left to play... ♪

Tell me,

is there still love between us?

It's hard to feel love inside a grave.

Do you think that journalist bought all of this?

I don't know.

I just hope she realized

that success is nothing but freedom.

♪ You want to dance?

♪ Play the piper

♪ Unlock the passion

♪ Bring you higher

♪ Oh, coming down

♪ Real life

♪ It seems so bland

♪ My words like sand

♪ Slipping through

♪ Your trembling fingers

♪ And your muse is laughing

♪ While the spirit lingers

♪ A melody

♪ You know you better hold on

♪ Or it'll be gone

♪ Broken poet

♪ Broken all in two

♪ Feeling like a loser

♪ But I can't lose you

♪ Now everybody has got their story

♪ So many heartbreaks

♪ A few moments of glory

♪ Redemption comes

♪ And you dressed up like a fool

♪ The coolest of the cool

♪ Broken poet

♪ Broken all in two

♪ Feeling like a loser

♪ But I can't lose you

♪ Listen here, girl

♪ I could have been a contender

♪ The world at my feet

♪ Everybody on bended knee

♪ Rhapsody, immortality

♪ Is a fantasy

♪ It isn't free

♪ It wasn't meant to be

♪ It wasn't me

♪ Why can't you see?

♪ Oh, Lord, give me peace

♪ Of your contentment

♪ Accept my fate

♪ Release me from resentment

♪ And help me find my way

♪ One more day

♪ Through the valley of gloom

♪ Back into my room

♪ Broken poet

♪ I'm broken all in two

♪ I'm feeling like a loser

♪ But I can't lose you

♪ Broken poet

♪ The joke's on me

♪ You know my secret

♪ In my way

♪ I just tried to be free ♪

Subtitles by explosiveskull www.OpenSubtitles.org