Country Music

When Cyndi and I started dating, she listened to country music. We didn't have the kids back then, or satellite radio, so 99.5 WUSN was her preferred radio station. I wasn't a big country music fan, but in an effort to bring some of her preferences into my life, I put the station on my radio as one of the presets.

Country music kind of grows on you, if you let it. The stories behind the lyrics were mostly very entertaining. I enjoyed what I heard. We'd go out to some of the local country bars (there were four of them back then that I remember: Cadillac Ranch, Dumas Walkers, Sundance Saloon, and Julie's). Cyndi even went out and bought me a cowboy hat and some boots. I became John Travolta in "Urban Cowboy" minus the looks and mechanical bull. If I remember correctly, we both also won money on US-99. She won $1000 for correctly naming the song of he day, and I won $750 for being the 19th caller. Country music was very, very good, to us.

Several years ago, I was hanging out quite a bit with Cyndi's cousin's husband, Craig, who was in a country band when they first met. He was the bass player in a (now defunct) group called, "The James House Band," trying hard to follow in his father's footsteps. His father's job growing up was as he guitar player in Loretta Lynn's band.

As the years went on, Craig moved more toward music management. One of his friends, Brooks Atwood, who had put out a CD, was starting to get some traction. His song, "Gone to Pieces," was playing on the radio, and there was talk about putting together a video. Craig knew that I liked to write, so he asked me if I was interested in writing the script.

I had no idea what I was doing, but I said "sure," anyway. I had visions of grandeur, really. I thought it was my ticket to becoming a "legitimate" writer, because the video would go on to win a multitude of awards, etc, etc. If you go to the following link and listen to "Gone to Pieces," you can hear the song: http://www.myspace.com/brooksatwoodmusic.


Here is the "treatment" that I wrote for the never produced video (POV = Point of View; INT = Interior; EXT = Exterior):


BROOKS ATWOOD

“Gone to Pieces”

Written by Cory Fosco

INT. FARMHOUSE – BEDROOM

We open with a wide shot of MAN #1 and WOMAN in the middle of an argument. Their clothes are faded and disheveled. They are down on their luck. Woman is quickly pulling clothes from a dresser drawer and into an open suitcase that is on the bed next to her. Man attempts to block her actions as he pleads with her, “Come on, baby. You can’t leave . . . stay and we can work this out.” Woman chuckles and shouts, “I can leave and I will leave!” She slams her suitcase shut, pulls it off the bed and starts walking out of the room. POV man with a wide shot as he watches her walk quickly toward the door. Woman opens the door and turns toward the man. She pauses and camera is tight on her face. “I know what I’m doing to you, but I just can’t do this anymore . . . I can’t. I know you’ll fall apart, you’ll go to pieces, but you’ll be fine. You’ll be fine.” Woman is crying and the camera pulls wide as she opens the screen door and closes the front door as she continues walking out. The camera stays on the door for a moment and the music begins.

Cut to EXT. FARMHOUSE – FRONT PORCH

BROOKS ATWOOD is PERFORMING while strumming a guitar. He looks directly at the camera with little to no expression on his face. He watches and sings as the woman leaves the house and continues toward her beaten brown Chevy Nova. The camera pans backward as he performs, revealing more of the farmhouse, as it looks empty with the curtains drawn.

Cut to INT. KITCHEN

Camera circles MAN #2 as he hangs up a white telephone, shakes his head and sighs. He takes a sip from his coffee cup and grabs a jacket as we follow him exiting his kitchen. The camera remains on the empty room and closed door.

Cut to EXT. FARMHOUSE

POV Front porch as we watch a very large, very clean black Ford F-10 Pickup Truck pull up the long driveway toward the house. Man #2 exits the truck and the camera follows as he walks up the stairs to the front door. Man #2 opens the storm door and goes to knock on the front door when he notices and grabs a white piece of paper taped to it.

Camera cuts to the words written on the paper in black marker: GONE TO PIECES.
Cut to INT. BAR

Camera is pulled back to reveal a bar filled with people, however, every patron sits alone at a table and at the bar. Brooks sits in a corner, strumming his guitar and performing but the focus is on MAN #1 as the camera pulls tight on his face to reveal a tired, sad person. Man #1 runs his fingers through his hair and sighs.

Cut to INT. FARMHOUSE BEDROOM

Camera pulls wide on Man #1 and woman (action throughout is in slow motion). They are both dressed nicely in pressed and brightly colored clothes. This is a flashback of happier times. They are passionately kissing and pull back from one another and gaze into each other’s eyes. They are very happy and begin slow dancing in a circle as the camera circles them.

Cut to INT. BAR

Camera is close on Man #1 as he drains his glass that is filled with beer and he quickly pulls a shot of whiskey to his mouth and drinks the entire contents.

Cut to EXT. FARMHOUSE PORCH

Wide shot on Man #2 slowly letting the storm door close as he contemplates the note he holds in his hand. Brooks performs on the ledge of the porch as Man #2 takes a deep breath and starts to put the note back on the door, changes his mind and holds the note as he turns and walks down the stairs of the front porch toward his pickup truck.

Camera switches POV to front porch so that you can see Man #2 enter his truck and speed away leaving a trail of dust/smoke behind him as the camera continues to pull back and watch him leave.

Cut to INT. BAR

Close up of Brooks performing Chorus. Camera cuts between Brooks performing and patrons at the bar still sitting alone with stronger emphasis on area around Man #1 and Man #1.

Cut to EXT. ROAD

Camera wide as we watch Man #2’s pickup truck driving down a more populated road. Camera pulls tight on his face as he looks toward something on the side of the road as he drives. Camera changes POV toward a crowded city park with children, parents and the like playing and having a great time. Camera changes POV and goes wide to follow pickup truck as it continues down the road toward its destination.

Cut to EXT. BAR

Camera wide on Man #2’s pickup truck as it slows down and stops at a street parking spot. Camera remains wide to watch Man #1 exit his vehicle, close the door and walk toward a storefront bar. As the song continues with “Gone to Pieces” the camera should be wide to reveal the name of the bar, PIECES, as Man #2 enters and the door closes behind him.

Camera is wide on the bar as Brooks continues to sing in the background and POV is from Man #2 as he scans to find Man #1 and camera walks toward him and sits down in the empty seat across from Man #1. Camera tight on Man #1’s face as he struggles to smile revealing some glimpse of hope now that Man #2 has arrived.

As the song finishes, camera pulls tight on Brooks as he sings “Gone to Pieces” and as the music finishes and begins to fade the camera cuts to POV Brooks and wide on Man #1, Man #2 as they get up from their seats and slowly (slow motion) walk toward the door to exit the bar. All of the other patrons remain alone at their tables/seats.

FADE TO BLACK


When that project failed, I thought I would try my hand at writing lyrics. Here is the one country song I wrote, which was also never produced.



"Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying"

She was standing in line at the grocery store
Buying what she needed but still wanting more
Two kids that were hers not much younger
She didn't have the drive all they had was a hunger
A different life they all needed she couldn't find the way
To make their lives better just for a day

We all start out with little and nothing
The world is yours to turn into something
But then there are others who give up without trying
You either get busy living or get busy dying

He was a man who was living to die
Dreams that were big if only he would try
He sits alone in a bar day after day
Takes half of his sweat and most of his pay
He wants to survive and not live just till death
He says goodbye to his life and takes a big breath

We all start out with little and nothing
The world is yours to turn into something
But then there are others who give up without trying
You either get busy living or get busy dying

Then there's the guy who's done all he can
to make the big bucks to be the big man
He once lived a life like his sisters and brothers
He grew tired of the excuses he heard from the others
He just wouldn't sit decided to scream
He did something with his life he fulfilled his own dream

We all start out with little and nothing
The world is yours to turn into something
But then there are others who give up without trying
You either get busy living or get busy dying

So don't be that woman who prefers the struggle
Or that guy in the bar with two lives to juggle
I'd rather be the one who took all the chances
Who gets what he wants who gets all the glances
He realized life is worth trying
He'll get busy living not get busy dying

We all start out with little and nothing
The world is yours to turn into something
But then there are others who give up without trying
You either get busy living or get busy dying


Anyone with musical talent interested in putting music to the lyrics? It'll make us famous...