Quotes

Dialogue

Sammie Moore: They said you wanna talk. Smoke: Yeah. Seen your performance down there. Pretty damn good. Sammie Moore: Can't thank you enough for this. I mean, y'all the ones who put that guitar in my hand. Now this. Smoke: Well, you got the talent. That's for certain. But all this ain't no life for nobody. I know plenty of musicians I ain't never met a happy one. Yeah, it's cute now. But it get old. That ramblin'. Sammie Moore: I mean being with y'all today... Smoke, I feel like I'm flying. Well, today settled it. I'm headin' off on my own. Smoke: Where you goin'? Sammie Moore: I don't know. Maybe Chicago. Smoke: Hmm. One day our daddy beat Stack real bad. So we get in our minds that we need to run away. See, me, I wanna go to the next plantation over. But Stack, he figured we get to Mound Bayou. Small town. Right here in Mississippi. Founded by free slaves. And everything is Black-owned. Sammie Moore: That sound like a crock. Smoke: Yeah, well, I seen it. Sammie Moore: Why y'all ain'

Dialogue

Sammie Moore: Mornin' Pop. Jedidiah: You're up awful early, son. Sammie Moore: Like you say, jump on the work don't let the work jump on you. Jedidiah: That's right. Sammie Moore: Finished my quota for the day. [Notices the guitar] Jedidiah: Yeah. I brought it in here. I want you to help me give my sermon tomorrow. First Corinthians, 10:13. Read. Sammie Moore: No temptation has overtaken you, except what is common to mankind. God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you're tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Now, Pop if you don't mind, I'm gon' be late. Jedidiah: Late for what, boy? Where you gotta that's more important then being in the House of God? Sammie Moore: I've been workin' all week, Pop. Wanna be free of all this for a day. Jedidiah: To play music? For drunkards? Philanderers, who shirk their responsibilities to their families so they can sweat all over each other? Sammie Moore: I'll be back in time for s

Dialogue

Smoke: You Hogwood? Hogwood: You boys twins? Stack: [Sarcastically] Nah, we cousins. Hogwood: Well. Here she is. He moved a ton of timber a month back in his heyday. Workers lived upstairs. Say, what are you fellas planning on doing with the place? Stack: Y'all wash these floors? Hogwood: Yeah. Smoke: What was on 'em? Hogwood: I thought y'all was dead set on buying the place. More time I spend with y'all, the less sure I am you boys are serious about it. Smoke: Ain't no "boys" here. Stack: Just grown men. With grown-men money. Smoke: And grown-men bullets Hogwood: I didn't mean nothin' by it. Just the way we talk down here. Smoke: We'll take it. The mill, the equipment, and the land that it's standing on. Hogwood: [looking at the briefcase full of money] Well, Damn! Smoke: Now, understand, it's the last dime you ever gonna to see from us. And if we see you, or any one of your Klan buddies cross our property line, we gonna kill 'em right where they stand. Hogwood: Shit. Klan don't exist

Dialogue

Sammie Moore: Delta Slim. Delta Slim: Yeah, I thank you for your generosity. I guess that Chicago wind blew your black asses back down here, huh? Who the boy? Stack: This my little cousin. Preacherboy Sammie. Happens to be the finest blues player in all the Delta. Delta Slim: I got socks older than this here boy. What the hell he know about the blues? Sammie Moore: [Holding up his guitar] I can show you better than I can tell you. Delta Slim: Hold up, now. Put down that motherfucker... Stack: Put that away. Delta Slim: Now, this here my patch right here. Now, you wasn't his cousin and a young pup to boot. I'd cut your ass too thin to fry. Stack: And you threaten him again I'mma make your drunk ass swallow that harmonica. You still nice with them keys? Delta Slim: Depend on who you ask. Stack: I'll give you $20 to come play at our juke tonight. Delta Slim: Yeah, I wish I could. I'mma be at Messengers tonight same as I am every Saturday night. Stack: What they pay you? Delta Slim: For a

Dialogue

Sammie Moore: [Stack, Delta Slim and Sammie are driving by a chain gang at work] Hey, you know some of them? Delta Slim: All of 'em. Sammie Moore: What happened? Delta Slim: Me and my buddy Rice, we was hustlin' back and forth up the delta, we got busted for vagrancy. Them white sheriffs take us down to the jailhouse... that was empty. I thought for sure they was gonna kill us that night. But they gave us our instruments back, and they tell us to play. Stack, we played. Preacherboy, we played, you hear me? Music was comin' out the windows. People on the street was stoppin' to come in. Next day, one of them sheriffs got the bright idea they gonna take us on the road now. They cover us and throw us in the paddy wagon. They take us to this big house. I mean, it's full of white folks. Pass around their hats and have us to play. See, them white folks we playin' for, they had real money. Sammie Moore: Had y'all playing them old ragtime songs? Delta Slim: We played a fair amount of blues too.

Dialogue

Annie: What you come back for? Smoke: We bought that old sawmill. Yeah, we gon' patch it up, make it into a juke joint. Annie: A juke joint. This one of Stack's ideas? Smoke: Yeah, he figure tonight gonna be a grand opening. Annie: I thought y'all was done with the Delta. Last I heard, y'all were northern men. Smoke: Nah, we through with Chicago. Annie: Chicago through with y'all? Smoke: What you asking? Annie: Who you and Stack robbed to get enough money for them crackers to sell you a whole mill?

Dialogue

Smoke: I can’t believe you taking this make-believe shit. Annie: [holds up a razor blade to Smoke's neck] Smoke, give me my money ‘fore I cut your Black ass. Smoke: You can put that blade up, woman. I’ll trade ya. [holds up cash wad] Annie: I don’t want your money. Smoke: Don’t be stupid, now. Annie: I ain’t stupid. Your money come with blood. Smoke: All money come with blood, baby. [puts away cash wad] Annie: Not like yours. Smoke: This shit won’t even spend nowhere else. Look at it. Annie: I ain’t goin’ nowhere else. I don’t need that cursed money you got. [she takes dollar bill] Smoke: You know, woman, I been all over this world. In cars, ships, trains. I seen men die ways I didn’t even know was possible. I ain’t never saw no roots, no demons… no ghosts, no magic. Just power. And only money can get you that. Annie: You fool. All that war, or whatever the hell else you been doin’ in Chicago, and you back here in front of me. Two arms, two legs, two eyes, and a brain that work. How yo

Dialogue

Sammie: So, tell me about Chicago. I heard they ain't got Jim Crow up there. Black man can go where he wants. Smoke: Listen, boy, you can't be believin' everythin' that you hear. Town'll fill yo' head up with this make-believe, but me and yo' cousin? We gon' give it to you straight. Chicago ain't shit but Mississippi with tall buildings instead of plantations. Stack: And that's why we came back home: Figured we might as well deal with the devil we know.

Dialogue

Sammie: I've seen you somewhere before. Pearline: Maybe. Sammie: You sing, don'tcha? Pearline: Time to time. Sammie: Mmm-hmm. I'm Preacherboy. [offers his hand as she shakes it] Pearline: Pearline... Sammie: Pearline... hmm... Pearline: I'm married, by the way. Sammie: ... Happily? Pearline: Careful, boy... you gon' bite off more than you can chew. [slowly walks away]

Dialogue

Sammie Moore: I don't think you should be here. See, I'm with the twins. Mary: With the twins? Boy, if you don't get the fuck outta my face.

Dialogue

Mary: So, you play that guitar they left you? Sammie: Yeah. Mary: That's good. You makin' any money with that thing? Sammie: Not really. Not yet, at least. Mary: I'd tell ya it didn't matter as long as you love it, but that'd be horseshit advice.

Dialogue

Mary: You know, I waited for you. Stack: Shit, I don't know why in the hell you gon' do that. Mary: Because you told me you loved me. Stack: Well, I told you to stay the fuck away from me, too, but I guess you didn't hear that part, huh? Mary: Ohh, I heard you. I heard you loud and clear, but then you stuck your tongue in my cooze and fucked me so hard, I figured you changed your mind. Stack: Keep your voice down now.

Dialogue

Stack: The hell are you doin' back here, Mary? Mary: I buried my mama yesterday, Stack. Figured I'd might see you and Smoke there, as much as she looked after you both. But I guess y'all love lasted as long as y'all could get somethin' out of her. Stack: You right. That's all she was: Food, a warm bed. Mary: Rot in Hell, Stack! [walks away] Stack: Shit, I will. [as she walks away] And save yo' triflin' ass a room! Shit, right next to me... shit...

Dialogue

Mary: Get yo' hands off me. Stack: What's it gon' take, hmm? How much to getchu to get the fuck on? Mary: You can't pay me off. Stack: Fine... I'll pay one of these field bitches in here to drag yo' ass out, then— Mary: Shit, you taught me how to fight; I'll beat up every bitch in here, and you know it. Stack: I taught you how to walk away when the money's up, too. Got you a rich white husband, got you a farm, now go home to it. Mary: I ain't ask for none of that - all that shit was your idea! I didn't want no white man, I didn't want to be white. I wanted to be with you! Stack: All it'd take is the wrong person in here to see you - word get back to them crackas, and they gon' try to kill you. Mary: What would it matter to you? Stack: 'Cause, if somebody out there put they hands on you... if they hurt you... me and my brother gon' come kill 'em all. Mary: So you'll kill for me. Stack: That's right. Mary: But you still won't tell me the truth. I was young enough to believe you were comi

Dialogue

Remmick: You fellers must be the owners of this establishment. Smoke: That's right. And you are? Remmick: Name's Remmick. This here's Joan and Bert. Sammie: Hey Stack, y'all alright? Remmick: Aww, and you... must be that voice I heard from out here. Aw, it was beautiful. Joan: God damn bee-yew-tiful voice. Bert: Even through these walls. Smoke: Where y'all from? Joan: Just down the road. Stack: And how far is that? Remmick: North Carolina. Smoke: Y'all Klan? Remmick: [offended] Sir... w-we believe in equality and music. We just came here to play. Spend some money, have a good time. Here, I'll show you. Smoke: [stopping the music after a bit] Hold on hold on, just a minute. Remmick: Aw, its just about to get good. Smoke: Nah I believe ya. But this here a juke joint. Stack: Blues music. Bert: Well we've got money and we ready to spend it with y'all. Remmick: Soundin' damn near perfect and you're saying we ain't welcome. Smoke: Nah I'm saying you get down that road and get back into town.

Dialogue

Remmick: You looking for some fresh air, or... Mary: I just come to see if y'all was good people. Remmick: Aw darlin' that's so sweet of you. Joan: So sweet. Remmick: We most surely are Mary: [sitting next to him] And y'all got money to spend? Remmick: Oh yeah, plenty money. You wanna see? Mary: Yeah, I wanna see. [Bert hands her some gold] What type of money is this? Remmick: The solid gold kind, darlin'. Yeah. Mary: Where's this from? Remmick: It's from a different place in a different time. But it spends just the same. You can have it. But it's no good to you. Joan: It's no good to her... Bert: [shaking his head] Mmm-mm. Mary: Well, what makes you say that? Remmick: Cuz you in some deep, deep pain that money can't fix. Am I right? [Mary looks at him] You came over here for fellowship and love. Joan: Fellowship and love... Mary: My mother... she just passed. Remmick: Aw that's awful. Ah... Bert: Just awful. Joan: Just awful... [touches Mary's shoulder] Bert: Losin' a mother is a hurt

Dialogue

Stack: You droolin'. Mary: You want some?

Dialogue

Delta Slim: Y'all smell anything? Annie: No. Delta Slim: I think I shat myself.

Dialogue

Smoke: [looks through the knife hole in the door] Stack... nigga, that's you? Stack: Naw, fool, it's Jim Crow!

Dialogue

Sammie: How can it move and sound like Stack if it ain't Stack? Annie: I only ever heard stories. I ain't never come across them myself. Pearline: What stories you heard? Annie: How haints work; they switch places with the soul of a man. But vampires is different... maybe the worst kind: The soul gets stuck in the body. Can't rejoin the ancestors... cursed to live here with all this hate. Can't even feel the warmth of a sunrise.

Dialogue

Bo: Hey, baby. Come on outside, I got the car started Let's go. [Grace doesn't move] Come on, Grace. Grace: ...he's killin' him. Bo: [He glances over to Cornbread, who's killing a juke patron] Oh, you talking about that? Don't worry about Cornbread. He's just a little hungry, that's all. Let's go, come on. Bo: Come on and go. I got the car warmed up. [He looks back to Grace, obviously unamused] Or... you let me back in there, and I'll come in and we can grab our things and head home. Annie: Don't listen to him. Smoke: Grace, we're gonna find a way out of this, I promise. Remmick: I am your way out. This world already left you for dead. Won't let you build, won't let you fellowship. We will do just that. Together. Forever. Bo: It's better this way, baby. So why don't you go ahead and invite us in? Remmick: You should listen to him, Grace, or listen to me. Because I know everything he knows now, and I want you to let us in there. Or we're gonna go to the grocery store, we're gonna pay li

Dialogue

Sammie Moore: You're the devil, ain't you? Remmick: Sammie! You're the one I came for. I sensed you. I want to see my people again, I'm trapped here. But your gifts can bring them to me. Y'all give them to me now. Just- just give me little Sammie. We'll let y'all live. Smoke: Hey, hey, easy. Delta Slim: I'm gonna tell you something, you goddamn peckerwood. You can't have him. He belongs to us. He belongs with us! And I ain't gonna let that happen. Remmick: You can't save him, Smoke - no more than you could save your brother. Remmick: You ain't safe here. No matter how many guns or how much money, they gonna take it from you when they want. You built something here tonight, and it was beautiful. But it was built on a lie. Hogwood? Well, he's the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. [He points to Bert] That's his motherfucking nephew! They was always gonna kill you - I just happened to show up at the right place at the right time. Stack: He telling the truth, Smoke. I can see his memories.

Dialogue

Delta Slim: Hey, let me tell you somethin'. Let me tell YOU goddamn somethin', nigga. The Stack I know, he ain't fellowshipping with no goddamn devil. Stack: Fuck you, nigger. It is me. Elias Moore. And I'm talking to my big brother right now, so I'mma kindly ask you to shut the fuck up. Stack: [turns to Smoke] We was never gonna be free. We've been running around everywhere looking for freedom. You know damn well we was never gonna find it. Until this. This is the way. Together. Forever. And I ain't doing this shit without ya. There is no me without you. What's it gon' be?

Dialogue

Smoke: [holding wooden stake towards Stack] Sorry I couldn't keep you safe. Stack: Don't be sorry, you always did.

Dialogue

Remmick: I want your stories. And I want your songs. And you gon' have mine. [prepares to bite Sammie] Sammie Moore: [desperately reciting] Our Father... which art in Heaven... hallowed be thy name... Remmick: [in distinct Irish accent] Thy kingdom come... thy will be done... on Earth, as it is in Heaven. Remmick: Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not in temptation. Deliver us from evil. Amen. Remmick: Long ago, the men who stole my father's land forced these words upon us. I hated those men, but the words still bring me comfort. Remmick: Those men lied to themselves, then lied to us. [dunks Sammie's head again] They told stories of a God above and a Devil below, and lies of a dominion of man over beast and Earth! [dunks Sammie's head again] We are Earth and beast and God. We are woman and man. We are connected, you and I... to everything.

Dialogue

Old Sammie: You know something? Maybe once a week, I wake up paralyzed, reliving that night. But before the sun went down, I think that was the best day of my life. Was it like that for you? Stack: [He smiles] No doubt about it. Last time I seen my brother. Stack: Last time I seen the sun. And just for a few hours... we was free.

Dialogue

Cornbread: Slim! Smoke! Delta Slim: Where the hell you been at, man? Huh? Cornbread: To go see a man about a dog, like I told you, you old drunk. Turns out I need to take a shit, too. [Noticing that Smoke is covered in blood] God Dog! What happened to you, Smoke? Smoke: Stack dead. Nigga, what the fuck happened to you? Cornbread: I'm sorry. All right, well, let me in, so I can help. Cornbread: What y'all doin'? Just step aside and let me on in, now. Annie: Why do you need him to do that? You big and strong enough to push past us. Cornbread: Well, that wouldn't be too polite now, would it, Miss Annie. I don't know why I'm talking to you anyway. Probably your fish sandwich messed up my guts in the first place. Usin' old, stale grease. Annie: [Defensively] I ain't never used stale grease, and you know it. Cornbread: Shut up, Annie. Smoke... Annie: Don't talk to him. You talkin' to me right now. Why can't you just walk your big ass up in here without an invite, huh? Go 'head. Admit to it.

Dialogue

Smoke: Terry? Boy, how you been? Terry: I was doing better 'fore you shot me in the ass.