You Know They Got a Hell of a Band
Encyclopedia
"You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" is a short story by Stephen King
. It was first published in the horror anthology Shock Rock and later included in King's collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes, concerning a young couple on a road trip in Oregon
when they accidentally wander into a small town inhabited by late musicians.
The title of the work, and the name of the town - Rock and Roll Heaven - both come from the chorus of "Rock and Roll Heaven", a song recorded by Climax
in 1973 and by The Righteous Brothers
(for a Top 10 hit) the following year.
. Clark's job as a computer programmer
will soon transfer him to another state, so the two opt to travel through the woods of the state. The two plan to visit Tokokee Falls, and Clark insists on taking a road through the deep forest. Mary protests, but Clark is adamant. The two drive off, and eventually become lost on a stretch of bad road.
Mary notices that the telephone poles
have vanished along the roads; the car's tape player also malfunctions, ruining and melting the tape in a cassette. Mary begs Clark to turn around, but he notices a large sign in the distance. The two near, and read the lettering: "Welcome to Rock and Roll Heaven." The previously unmarked road instantly becomes clean and well-marked. Mary still asks Clark to turn, but Clark insists on taking the "good" road. They discover that "Rock and Roll Heaven" is a small town, with a 1950s'-era atmosphere.
Rock and Roll Heaven is described as looking identical to a Norman Rockwell
painting. Mary feels worried about the "perfect" town, citing the short stories of Ray Bradbury
and Hansel and Gretel
. Clark is irritated at Mary's fear, and the two argue. Clark eventually wears Mary down, and the two venture into the town. He pulls up to a diner
and enters; Mary follows, afraid to be alone. Inside, the diner's friendly proprietor greets and jokes with them. A weary-looking young waitress leads the two to the counter. Mary and Clark sit down, and Clark notices that the proprietor, cleaning the authentic jukebox
, bears a strong resemblance to Janis Joplin
. Mary observes this and has a panic attack
, as she feels that somehow, the waitress is Joplin.
Mary recovers as the waitress brings the two pieces of cherry pie. Mary notices that the young woman has left a napkin on the counter; when she picks it up, she discovers a message: "Get out while you still can." Mary gives the napkin to Clark, who is distracted when the short-order cook appears-Ricky Nelson
. Mary struggles to remain calm as she orders Clark to exit without attracting suspicion. As he leaves, two more musicians enter: Roy Orbison
and Buddy Holly
. After Clark escapes, the two musicians talk with Mary. She is surprised at how composed she remains-until she notices a drop of blood
forming in Holly's glasses. As Mary stares, Nelson thumps Joplin on her backside, and hundreds of maggot
s pour from her mouth onto the floor. Mary realizes that the four have been toying with her, and dashes for the exit. Joplin screams, and the dead musicians begin to follow.
Clark and Mary drive frantically through the town, pursued by Nelson, who is joined by other late music legends including Ronnie Van Zant
and Duane Allman
. Nelson leaps onto the hood of the car, and Clark throws him from the vehicle; the singer gets up as though nothing had happened. The two flee, completely driving over Nelson in the process, but again, he is unharmed. As they drive, Mary notices other citizens of Rock and Roll Heaven, all of whom look exhausted and apathetic; she realizes that these are the "true" inhabitants, lured in and trapped in the town.
Mary and Clark escape Rock and Roll Heaven, and think they are safe-only to discover a large psychedelic
bus blocking the road. Their car crashes, and when they attempt to escape, a police car arrives. Mary wonders who will be driving the car, guessing that it might be Jimi Hendrix
, but the man is actually Otis Redding
. The mayor
of the town also appears: Elvis Presley
.
As the sun begins to set over Rock and Roll Heaven, Mary and Clark join the ranks of the other imprisoned souls in the park, where the concert is prepared. Mary looks at the other exhausted townsfolk, and chooses to sit next to the waitress from the diner. The young woman has the glazed look of one who is stoned, and talks with the young couple. She tells them that her name is Sissy, and reveals that Frankie Lymon
has cut off one of her fingers as punishment for assisting the pair. She also explains that while the concerts must end at midnight, "time is different" in Rock and Roll Heaven-the songs sometimes go on for years.
A long-dead radio disc jockey
, Alan Freed
, takes the stage and begins to announce a series of legendary acts: Freddie Mercury
, Florence Ballard
, Mary Wells
, Patsy Cline
, Jim Croce
, Stevie Ray Vaughan
, Keith Moon
, Marvin Gaye
, John Lennon
, and Cass Elliott, among others. Mary voices her "worst fear" when she asks Sissy her age-she is twenty-three, and has been that way for seven years. Mary realizes that these are the people who get "lost in the woods" as Freed continues to scream the names of acts. He finally shouts: "Rock and roll will never die!", to which Mary thinks the last line of the story: "That's what I'm afraid of. That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
series Nightmares & Dreamscapes
.
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. It was first published in the horror anthology Shock Rock and later included in King's collection Nightmares and Dreamscapes, concerning a young couple on a road trip in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
when they accidentally wander into a small town inhabited by late musicians.
The title of the work, and the name of the town - Rock and Roll Heaven - both come from the chorus of "Rock and Roll Heaven", a song recorded by Climax
Climax (band)
Climax was an American band formed in 1970 in Los Angeles, California, most noted for their 1971-1972 hit song "Precious and Few," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on Cashbox magazine's Top 100 singles chart...
in 1973 and by The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003...
(for a Top 10 hit) the following year.
Plot summary
Clark and Mary Willingham are a young couple traveling through the wooded areas of OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Clark's job as a computer programmer
Computer programming
Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...
will soon transfer him to another state, so the two opt to travel through the woods of the state. The two plan to visit Tokokee Falls, and Clark insists on taking a road through the deep forest. Mary protests, but Clark is adamant. The two drive off, and eventually become lost on a stretch of bad road.
Mary notices that the telephone poles
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
have vanished along the roads; the car's tape player also malfunctions, ruining and melting the tape in a cassette. Mary begs Clark to turn around, but he notices a large sign in the distance. The two near, and read the lettering: "Welcome to Rock and Roll Heaven." The previously unmarked road instantly becomes clean and well-marked. Mary still asks Clark to turn, but Clark insists on taking the "good" road. They discover that "Rock and Roll Heaven" is a small town, with a 1950s'-era atmosphere.
Rock and Roll Heaven is described as looking identical to a Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
painting. Mary feels worried about the "perfect" town, citing the short stories of Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
and Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
. Clark is irritated at Mary's fear, and the two argue. Clark eventually wears Mary down, and the two venture into the town. He pulls up to a diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
and enters; Mary follows, afraid to be alone. Inside, the diner's friendly proprietor greets and jokes with them. A weary-looking young waitress leads the two to the counter. Mary and Clark sit down, and Clark notices that the proprietor, cleaning the authentic jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
, bears a strong resemblance to Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
. Mary observes this and has a panic attack
Panic attack
Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or apprehension that are of sudden onset and of relatively brief duration. Panic attacks usually begin abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes, and subside over the next several hours...
, as she feels that somehow, the waitress is Joplin.
Mary recovers as the waitress brings the two pieces of cherry pie. Mary notices that the young woman has left a napkin on the counter; when she picks it up, she discovers a message: "Get out while you still can." Mary gives the napkin to Clark, who is distracted when the short-order cook appears-Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
. Mary struggles to remain calm as she orders Clark to exit without attracting suspicion. As he leaves, two more musicians enter: Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
and Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
. After Clark escapes, the two musicians talk with Mary. She is surprised at how composed she remains-until she notices a drop of blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
forming in Holly's glasses. As Mary stares, Nelson thumps Joplin on her backside, and hundreds of maggot
Maggot
In everyday speech the word maggot means the larva of a fly ; it is applied in particular to the larvae of Brachyceran flies, such as houseflies, cheese flies, and blowflies, rather than larvae of the Nematocera, such as mosquitoes and Crane flies...
s pour from her mouth onto the floor. Mary realizes that the four have been toying with her, and dashes for the exit. Joplin screams, and the dead musicians begin to follow.
Clark and Mary drive frantically through the town, pursued by Nelson, who is joined by other late music legends including Ronnie Van Zant
Ronnie Van Zant
Ronald Wayne "Ronnie" Van Zant was an American lead vocalist, primary lyricist, and a founding member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd...
and Duane Allman
Duane Allman
Howard Duane Allman was an American guitarist, session musician and the primary co-founder of the southern rock group The Allman Brothers Band...
. Nelson leaps onto the hood of the car, and Clark throws him from the vehicle; the singer gets up as though nothing had happened. The two flee, completely driving over Nelson in the process, but again, he is unharmed. As they drive, Mary notices other citizens of Rock and Roll Heaven, all of whom look exhausted and apathetic; she realizes that these are the "true" inhabitants, lured in and trapped in the town.
Mary and Clark escape Rock and Roll Heaven, and think they are safe-only to discover a large psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
bus blocking the road. Their car crashes, and when they attempt to escape, a police car arrives. Mary wonders who will be driving the car, guessing that it might be Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, but the man is actually Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
. The mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the town also appears: Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
As the sun begins to set over Rock and Roll Heaven, Mary and Clark join the ranks of the other imprisoned souls in the park, where the concert is prepared. Mary looks at the other exhausted townsfolk, and chooses to sit next to the waitress from the diner. The young woman has the glazed look of one who is stoned, and talks with the young couple. She tells them that her name is Sissy, and reveals that Frankie Lymon
Frankie Lymon
Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of a New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens...
has cut off one of her fingers as punishment for assisting the pair. She also explains that while the concerts must end at midnight, "time is different" in Rock and Roll Heaven-the songs sometimes go on for years.
A long-dead radio disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
, takes the stage and begins to announce a series of legendary acts: Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, Florence Ballard
Florence Ballard
Florence Glenda Ballard Chapman was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown group The Supremes. From 1963 until 1967, Ballard sang on 16 Top 40 hit Supremes' singles, ten of which hit number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1967, Motown CEO Berry Gordy decided to remove Ballard from...
, Mary Wells
Mary Wells
Mary Esther Wells was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s...
, Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
, Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
, Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
, Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, and Cass Elliott, among others. Mary voices her "worst fear" when she asks Sissy her age-she is twenty-three, and has been that way for seven years. Mary realizes that these are the people who get "lost in the woods" as Freed continues to scream the names of acts. He finally shouts: "Rock and roll will never die!", to which Mary thinks the last line of the story: "That's what I'm afraid of. That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The story was adapted as one of the episodes of the 2006 Turner Network TelevisionTurner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
series Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Nightmares & Dreamscapes (TV Series)
Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King is an 8-episode anthology series on TNT based on short stories written by Stephen King. It debuted on July 12, 2006, and ended its run on August 2, 2006. Although most of them are from the collection of the same name, there are some...
.