01x20 - Bill’s New Gig

[bunniefuu]

ADULT DEAN: My Dad started teaching
music to college kids after I was born.

At first, it was temporary,

to pay the bills for his growing family.

But over time, he grew to enjoy it.

And all his years of hard work
and boring committee meetings

finally paid off
when he was granted tenure.

Tonight, we celebrate him.

[Glass clinks]

To my wonderful husband, Bill,
or as he'll now be known...

Professor Williams!

[Cheers and laughter]

BOTH: To Professor Williams!

So, uh, Mr. Williams, are you rich now?

Oh, Cory!

You don't ask people that. That's rude.

Oh, no, no, no.
Now... Now I wanna know now.

Um, we talking pinky-up money
or pinky-down money?

Well, it does come
with a small pay bump.

[All cheering and laughing]

Enough to get me my own phone line?

That would be a gift to us all, but no.

What about a dirt bike?

You already have a bike.
You can ride it in the dirt.

[Laughter]

And don't worry, I won't be
asking for any handouts...

except can I borrow the car

- to meet up with Tammy?
- Uh-huh.

Son, just make sure you're back
before midnight, baby.

What? Y'all still got this boy
on curfew?

Nah, it's... it's okay, Mr. Long.

Midnight's fine.

In Vietnam, we were in
our jammies by then, so...

[Laughter]

It was good to see Daddy
so excited about having tenure,

but he and Mama may not have
exactly been on the same page

about what that meant.

Well, you know, the best thing
about Bill getting tenure

isn't the money...

It's the new-found freedom.

- Ooh.
- Wow.

He may even have a chance
to take a semester off

and go on sabbatical.

And I will, one day.

But first, I have to devote
myself to my band again,

maybe finally go on that tour
we've been talking about.

Of course. I'm sure there'll
be time for all of that.

Maybe we can go on tour with you.

[Laughter]

I mean, nothing says "hard-core funk"

like a station wagon filled
with your wife and kids.

[Laughter]

I think that sounds nice.

♪

Hey, guys.

- Hey.
- [Laughs]

Good to see you, man.

Bill, we weren't expecting you.

Uh, I just picked up Dean from practice

and swung by to give you
the good news... I got tenure.

- All right! Hey, congratulations.
- Hey, about time! Congrats, man.

Now I've got more time for the band.

Who's this?

Is this the Bill?

Man, you left some big shoes to fill.

Guys, I did not leave.

I'll let you cats talk this out.

You just weren't around, man.

Yeah, you got another job, a family.

Washboard, you got a family.

Yeah, but you put yours first.

You got a good dad there, Dean.

Kicking me out the band I started.

Cold-blooded.

[Vocalizes]

Good luck with this cat.

♪ Whoa, whoa-oa-oa-oa-oa-oa,
whoa-oa-oa, ye-e-ah ♪

Whoa! [Chuckles]

He sings way too loud. [Sighs]

♪ All I know ♪

♪ Ohhh, through the highs and the lows ♪

You really think I should go solo?

I don't see why not.

Your band's always fighting you

about the type of music
you want to play.

Now you have a chance to explore
doing your own thing.

I am more talented than those cats.

Got better taste in music, too.

Mm-hmm. And easy on the eyes.

[Chuckles]

I heard that the Wonderland Club
is looking for a new act

to play twice a week.

Audition's tomorrow.

Oh.

Sounds like somebody
needs to check and see

if his lucky tan suit still fits.

If it doesn't, my new lucky
color's gonna be blue.

[Chuckles]

There's a new song
I've been playing with

that might be
the perfect audition piece.

I'll work on it today.

I was gonna ask if you wanted to
have lunch this afternoon.

But you know what?

It'd be better for you
to work on your new piece.

Thank you, baby.

[Smooches]

Mama, relax, okay? We'll do the dishes.

Why, how thoughtful.
You have been so helpful lately.

Doing laundry, washing the car...

I can't even get Dean to make his bed.

Bruce is making us look bad.

Yeah, we need to have
a little talk with him.

Kim and I were rarely aligned
on anything.

It was nice to finally have
a united front.

Has anyone ever told you

that shirt makes you look like
Peppermint Patty?

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

[Blows]

How'd this basement get so clean?

Guess I keep getting distracted.

Oh. Well, you'll get there.

You're just not used to working alone.

Exactly. Usually, I have people
to bounce ideas off of.

Well, I'm here.

I meant professional people.

No offense, baby.

Well, if that's the case, then
you want some help from me?

No offense, Mama. [Chuckles]

Hey, I know a thing or two about music.

I sing in the church choir,
I'm pretty good on the piano,

and when we were dating,

who did you play your songs to first?

That's 'cause I was trying
to woo you, and it worked.

You sure you can handle it
without getting all hot to trot?

That was then.

Now, you'd have a better chance

if you finished cleaning up
this basement.

- No offense, baby.
- [Chuckles]

Meet you by the piano upstairs.

♪

Oh.

I'm gonna help your father
with his song,

so I need you three
to clean up the house

and get dinner started.

Oh, yeah, it's no problem, Mama.

Here. Uh, grab a broom
and start sweeping.

It's just gonna get dirty again.

Mm. And, Kim, stay here,
chop up some tomatoes.

Is spaghetti okay?

Spaghetti sounds lovely.

Looks like you two are in good hands.

[Chuckles]

Mnh-mnh.

Hang on, G.I. Jo-Jo. We need to talk.

Things have changed around here
since you've been gone.

Yeah. [Broom thuds]

Kim and I have come up with a system.

System?

Mama gives us a chore.
We do it quickly and poorly.

She comes in, sees it...

And it drives her crazy,

'cause you know
how it all has to be perfect.

Then shes says [As Lillian] "Move, boy."

[Normal voice] And then does it for us.

And then I get to talk
on the phone with my friends.

And I get to go watch TV.

And everybody's happy.

Well, it seems like you could
take all the energy

you put into your system
and just do the chores.

Come on. Let's get started.

No. You're not the boss.

You're right. Mom is.

Want me to tell her about your system?

Dang. Duped by a knock-off Tito Jackson.

Hmm?

♪

♪ Every good day comes with sunshine ♪

♪ But some days come with hard times ♪

Oh, Bill, I love it.

Oh, but, um,
what if the verse went like...

♪ Even bad days come with sunshine ♪

Okay, that could work.

Well, now, if you don't like it,
just say so.

I won't take it personally.
You're the professional.

How about something like this?

[Piano plays] ♪ Through it all ♪

♪ You got love in the summer,
warmth in the winter ♪

[Piano stops] Mm, okay, yeah.

[Piano plays]

- Nah, I don't think so.
- Why not?

I'm a musician, Lillian.
When you know, you know.

Well, okay, Mr. Musician.

I'll just keep playing, and you
let me know when you know.

[Piano chords play] Yeah, let
me just dust this for the fifth time.

♪ You could stumble, you could fall ♪

♪ Just keep smiling through it all ♪

What do you think?

So you do want my help?

I'm just trying to write
a Saturday night song.

You keep trying to make it
all Sunday morning.

Working with you stresses me out.

I can see why your bandmates
are always stoned.

Ooh!

[Chuckles]

♪

[Sighs]

Based off what I saw,

things might still be
a little tense between them.

[Laughs]

That song is really gonna
put you over the top.

Well, it never would have worked
without your idea for the bridge.

- Oh!
- Mwah!

I'm just glad I was
able to help. [Chuckles]

I didn't understand marriage then.

Uh, actually, I still don't.

[Sighs] So, you really think
they're gonna like it?

Bill, you have nothing to be
worried about.

You're gonna blow them away
at that audition tomorrow.

Dinner looks amazing.

And the house is spotless.

I can only imagine what it took
to whip these two into shape.

Oh, no. I'm just happy to help.

Which reminds me... I just got
my first disability check

from the army.

Thought I'd chip in
on the bills and the groceries.

Oh, okay. [Chuckles] Forgive me.

I'm not used to one of my kids
actually giving me money.

[Laughter]

Mm. I gave you $ last week.

Because you needed change.

Oh, uh, Dad, can I borrow
the car tonight?

- Of course you can.
- Mm.

Dean and Kim can clean up after dinner.

What? No fair.
I made plans with a friend tonight, too.

On a school night?

It's not a school night for him.

[Chuckles]

I mean, yeah,
I'll take care of the dishes.

♪

♪

There's a new ice cream place
over in Cloverdale.

You think you can take yourself
away from that school work

long enough to get yourself
a double scoop?

Is this a test?

Like when you ask me
if I want sugar in my grits?

No, I'm not gonna spank you this time.

- This is for real.
- Okay.

♪

W-What are we doing here?

The ice cream place is next door.

I know, I know,

but since we were in the neighborhood,

I thought we'd catch a little bit

of your father's audition.

You know I wrote most of the bridge.

Hey. What are you guys doing here?

[Laughs]

Hey, honey. Sorry.
I just wanted to stop by

and catch some of your audition.

Um, am I too late?

Did they like our song?

Actually, I didn't have to audition.

I got a job.

Bill, that's wonderful!

They just gave you a slot?

No, a different job.

I'm gonna be the musical director

for their weekend headliner.

Oh! I thought you had
your heart set on going solo.

What made you change your mind?

There you are.

Who's this here?

This is my wife, Lillian.

Lillian, this is Janice.

She's the lead singer
of the new band I'm joining.

I see your game.

You wait till after I hire you
to tell me you're married.

- [Laughs]
- Ah, smart.

And this is my youngest, Dean.

So handsome, just like your daddy.

If you were a little older
and I was a little younger...

Yeah? Go on, finish your thought.

Well, nice to meet you, Janice.

Nice to meet you, too.

Bill, I'll see you tomorrow.

It was the craziest thing.

When she saw me come in
for the audition,

she couldn't believe I was available.

Said she had her eyes on me for years.

Did she, now?

So she offered me the job on the spot.

Well, what about our song, Bill,
and your solo career?

I thought you wanted to do
your own thing.

Janice wants me to help her take
her sound in a new direction.

So I think she'll be open to doing
some of my original material.

And she has a following, so I
can reach a bigger audience.

Well, if you like it,
I love it. [Chuckles]

Well, see you at home.

All right.

What about my ice cream?

Right before dinner?

It'll spoil your appetite.

What's with men always wanting ice cream

when there's perfectly fine
dinner at home?

[Doorbell rings]

If it isn't the man of my dreams.

Mm-hmm. That's right, Mama.

Are you wearing aftershave?

You smell like my ex-husband.

Not that that's a bad thing. [Chuckles]

Oh, Lillian.

[Door closes] Thanks for having me.

I thought it would be a good idea

for us to have our first meeting here

so you could see
everything was above board.

You know, some wives can be...

Not me, but thanks
for the consideration.

What a beautiful home.

You got a job, a family, a house.

Most musicians I work with
don't even have a couch.

[Laughter]

Uh, where's the rest of the band?

Oh, we thought we'd work
on the arrangements

before we brought it to the whole group.

I'm all set up downstairs.

Well, y'all have fun. Okay.

There's a light at the top of the steps.

There's another light downstairs.

There's plenty of lights down there!

♪

What if I start off something like...

♪ Summertime ♪

♪ And the living is easy ♪

[Funky riff plays]

- ♪ Fish are jumping... ♪
- [Chuckles] That's interesting.

You know, I've always done it
more like...

♪ Summertiiiiime ♪

Girl, you better sing that!

♪ And the living is eaaaasy ♪

That works.

I just thought maybe we could
jazz it up a little bit.

Yeah, well, I attract a younger crowd.

You know, they're not really jazz fans.

Okay. What if I make it
a little simpler?

[Funky riff plays]

[Chuckles]

No.

When I know, I know.

I'm trying to do what you asked me...

Help you find a new sound.

Slow down, Berry Gordy!

You can't change my sound
till you know my sound.

People come to my shows
to feel something.

This jazz stuff's a little
too thinky-thinky for that.

Okay. But I'm-a keep pushing. [Chuckles]

Is your daddy always this hard-headed?

Keep walking, Dean.

♪

[Knocking]

♪

[Gasps]

Shh. Shh.

[Whispering] Unlock the window.

Well, well. The man who'd
been bossing me around

missed his curfew and needed my help

getting back in our room.

Hmm.

Unlock the window.

But you know what?
He was a good brother.

And I knew Mom and Dad would be
furious if they caught him.

I'm sleeping.

Dean. Dean!

Dean!

I'm gonna k*ll you, Dean. Dean!

[Sighs]

[Door opens]

[Door closes]

- BILL: Bruce?
- BRUCE: Dad? What are you doing up?

The question is what the hell
are you doing out so late?

I didn't realize how late it was.

I just lost track of time.

Whoa.

Oh, look.

The little hand is past the .

All right, all right.

Man to man, I just wanted to
hang out with Tammy

- a little longer.
- [Sighs]

Look, I don't want to
wake the whole house up,

but you better believe we're
gonna talk about this tomorrow.

Yes, sir.

[Springs creak]

[Door creaks, closes]

BRUCE: The army taught me
how to k*ll a man in his sleep

without making a sound.

♪

[Scoffs] Nice shirt.

Nobody told me you had to
separate reds and whites.

BILL: We're disappointed in you, son.

Especially since you've been
acting so grown up around here.

I'm not acting. I am grown up.

I'm sure you feel that way,
but you're not even yet.

[Sighs] I've been on my own
for two years now.

Nobody was checking up
for me in Vietnam.

Golly.

That's true, but you're back
in our house now

and you've got to follow our rules.

Not to mention, you have
a younger brother and sister

who look up to you.

How would you feel if Kim were
up all hours of the night,

creeping in and out the house?

Actually, she was.

They just didn't know it... yet.

Well, this isn't working for me.

Excuse me?

You're working on getting grounded.

You can't ground me.

You got to stop treating me like a kid.

You realize you're saying that

while eating cereal
that turns the milk purple.

[Chuckles]

[Thud]

♪

♪ But 'til that morning ♪

♪ Nothing's gonna harm you ♪

♪ With your daddy and mama standing by ♪

♪

♪ Summertiiime ♪

[Cheers and applause]

They're so good.

Yeah, this band's
a whole lot easier to look at

than the last one.

Now, this next song is dedicated
to all the lovers...

Those for life and just for tonight.

It was written by my new
band leader, Bill Williams.

[Cheers and applause]

Well, it's... it's Bill's song,
but I helped with the bridge.

[Chuckles]

♪

Hey, could you slow it down
for me, please?

[Tempo slows]

Yeah.

[Crowd cheers, whistles]

♪ Hmm ♪

♪ Every good day comes with sunshine ♪

That's not how the song goes.

♪ But some days, mm,
come with hard times ♪

WOMAN: I love this song!

♪ Just keep smiling,
smiling through it all ♪

♪ Love is haaaard ♪

Uh, do you mind helping Vivian
write a song next?

It was weird for me to see a woman

act that way in public with my Dad.

♪ w*r is so, so easy ♪

But it had to be really
uncomfortable for my mom.

♪ Through it aaaaall ♪

[Music stops] Lil, what are you doing?

Our song, the right way.

[Up-tempo music plays]

♪ Every good day comes with sunshine ♪

♪ Some days come with hard times ♪

♪ You could stumble, you could fall ♪

♪ Just keep smiling through it all ♪

♪ Love is haaaard ♪
[Cheers and applause]

♪ But w*r is so easy ♪

If you think you just gon'
push me off my own stage...

[Screams]

[Crowd gasps, glass shatters]

[Cheers and applause]

That's what should've happened.

But my mother was too much of a lady.

She would never do anything
to embarrass the family.

I, however, was kind of a pro at it.

Booooo!

[Crowd murmurs]

Boo!

♪

Well, that was a career milestone...

First time I ever got booed
by my own son.

Believe me, we were just
discussing his punishment.

I'm sorry, Daddy.

I wasn't booing you. I was booing her.

Sh... She was making Mama mad.
I wasn't mad.

I was just surprised
the song sounded so different.

That wasn't how we rehearsed it.

Lil, I promise you... Bill,

I'm not jealous, if that's
what you were thinking.

She's not your type.

Now, if it was Gladys Knight,
we'd have a problem.

[Chuckles]

I know it's a part of her act,

and clearly, her audience eats it up.

Club owner loved it, too. [Sighs]

He extended us for another month.

Well, there you go. Looks
like you made the right decision.

Yeah. I'm not sure I did.

Son, go get your dad a beer.
He's had a rough night.

What is it?

I've been thinking, Lillian,
and you were right.

Well, that's a good start. [Chuckles]

I can't keep getting in situations

where I'm letting other people
control my ideas.

I should be doing my own thing.

Then do it.

But [Sighs] what if I can't?

I don't have that
big personality like Janice

or that guy who replaced me
in the old band.

What? You have your own style.

And if that doesn't work,
I'll straighten your hair

and get you a cape like James Brown.

[Chuckles] So my dad
can disown me? No thanks.

Bill Williams, you are
the coolest man I know.

I mean, I was...

but how many cats actually know
what's cool after their s?

How many cats
can write a song like this?

♪ Every good day comes with sunshine ♪

♪ But some days come with hard times ♪

♪ You could stumble, you could fall ♪

♪ Just keep smiling through it all ♪

♪

Daddy left Janice's band

and finally embarked on a solo career.

And Bruce made his own shift
toward independence

when he moved into the basement,

where he could come and go as he pleased

without having to climb
through a window.

As for me, I was still in the doghouse

with both my brother and Dad,

and they sure found ways
to make me pay for it.

And after you finish with all my boxes,

go upstairs and make me a sandwich.

That sounds good. Make me one, too.

And put some mayo on mine.

♪

You don't even like mayo.

♪ Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh ♪

♪

♪ All I know is... ♪

Move, boy. You're making a mess.

Don't worry, Mama. I got it.

And even though I wasn't going
solo or moving out of my room,

I guess you could still say

that independence was in the air.