"Where everybody be at?" I said, leanin' sideways and sticking my head out the window. "Where's the theaters and big studios? Where's all the fancy people?" "Girl, what are you talking about? We're not in Hollywood. We're in Muscle Shoals." "But Mr. James said all these famous people sing here—Aretha and Etta and the Rolling Stones. They made all those big hits here. Where all the rock stars and jazz clubs and stuff? This ain't the right place. This place is pokier than Tuscaloosa, even." "This is the right place," Jaz said. "It just ain't Hollywood." "Hollywood? Shit! This place the pits!" Jaz rolled on through the nothin' street, and I were so disappointed lookin' out the window, I couldn't speak The shock of Muscle Shoals were so big I just kinda froze in myself. Jaz pulled off the road at some hole-in-the-wall coffee shop and said, "Let's eat. You'll feel better after we eat." I didn't feel like eating at no poky coffee shop. I wanted to eat at one of them fancy places with tiny lights and dark red carpets on the floors and music playin'.
