I'M A HUGE FAN OF BOTH OF YOURS, BUT YOU'RE AN UNLIKELY PAIRING
ON A CERTAIN LEVEL.
PEOPLE KNOW YOU AS A POP STAR.
PEOPLE LOVE YOUR VOICE.
PEOPLE KNOW YOU AS A COMIC LEGEND.
HOW DID THE TWO OF YOU MEET?
HOW DID YOU START WORKING TOGETHER?
>> AS-- THE WAY EVERYONE MEETS-- DINNER.
YEAH.
>> I SAT NEXT TO STEVE, AND WE WERE ACTUALLY AT A TABLE WITH A
LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE, BUT STEVE WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO OFFER ME
THESE GARLIC CRACKERS.
( APPLAUSE ) >> YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: VERY SUAVE.
VERY WELL DONE.
>> I SHOULD HAVE SAID DINNER IS THE WAY PEOPLE USED TO EAT
ACTUALLY.
>> Stephen: NOW THEY HAVE AN APP CALLED DINNER.
D-I-N-N-R.
IT WAS MAGIC AT FIRST CRACKER?
>> IT WAS.
I FELT REALLY SHY AROUND HIM, BUT WHEN HE OFFERED ME THAT
CRACKER-- >> I THINK I'M A SHY PERSON,
TOO, ESPECIALLY IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS FOR A WHILE.
SO WE DIDN'T-- I DON'T KNOW IF WE TALKED THAT MUCH.
WE PROBABLY TALKED A LITTLE BIT, LIKE ABOUT ME, AND THINGS LIKE
THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) BUT THEN LATER, ABOUT FIVE YEARS
AGO, WE MET AGAIN AT A BIRTHDAY PARTY.
AND EDIE CAME UP AND SAID, "I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR LAST ALBUM,"
WHICH WAS A BLUEGRASS ALBUM I DID WITH THE STEVE CANYON
RANGERS.
( APPLAUSE ) AND SHE SAID "WOULD YOU EVER
LIKE TO WRITE A SONG TOGETHER?" AND I HAD ONLY WRITTEN SONGS
ALONE SO I HAD NO CONCEPT OF HOW TO WRITE A SONG WITH SOMEBODY
BUT I SAID, "SURE."
AND WE FOLLOWED THROUGH.
>> Stephen: NOW, DID YOU KNOW HIM AS A MUSICIAN AT ALL BEFORE
THIS?
>> NO, I LISTENED TO HIS RECORD ON THE WAY INTO NEW YORK CITY TO
THAT PARTY, AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY HIS SONGWRITING AND I THOUGHT
IT WAS GREAT.
AND I HEARD OTHER SINGERS ON THE EXPROARD THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A
FUN THING TO DO.
>> SHE WAS THINKING IF I AM HAVING DINNER WITH THIS GUY, I
BETTER BRUSH UP ON HIM.
>> Stephen: THIS WAS THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS, HIS BANJO
PLAYING?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: DID IT SURPRISE YOU, BECAUSE IT SURPRISES A LOT
OF PEOPLE, WHEN YOU HEAR STEVE TO PLAY THE BANJO, YOU KEEP ON
WAITING FOR THE JOKE TO HAPPEN.
HAS THAT BEEN A PROBLEM, PEOPLE LIKE, "HA-HA, WHEN DOES IT GET
FUNNY?" >> SOME OF THE SONGS I WRITE ARE
FUNNY BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE SERIOUS.
WHEN YOU WRITE MUSIC IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT ANIMAL, BECAUSE PEOPLE
LIKE MUSIC.
AND THEY HATE-- HATE COMEDY.
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM.
WE DO OUR SHOW-- I DO A LOT OF SMOKES IN OUR SHOW WITH THE
STEEP CANYON RANGERS AND I TRAVEL WITH MARTY SHORT AND DO A
LOT OF JOKES THERE AND PLAY TYPICAL-- OH.
>> Stephen: THIS IS YOUR LATEST ALBUM TOGETHER.
>> WAS I BORING?
>> Stephen: WHAT?
NO, NOT AT ALL.
I WAS-- I WAS RIDING-- I WAS RIDING THE WAVE OF HOW
INTERESTING YOU WERE.
>> YES, YES, YES.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: TO BRING US TO-- TO BRING US BACK TO YOU AGAIN.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> OH, RIGHT.
>> Stephen: YES.
AND NOW, AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU HAVE A MUSICAL AT THE COURT
THEATER CALLED "BRIGHT STAR."
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IT OPENS NEXT WEEK, BUT IT'S IN PREVIEWS NOW SO YOU COULD
EVEN GO TOMORROW.
>> Stephen: NOW, NOW, HOW DOES--
>> ARE YOU GOING TO GO TOMORROW?
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YES, I AM.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: YES, I AM.
I'M GOING TO GO TOMORROW.
HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?
DO YOU WRITE THE MUSIC, DO YOU LIKE THE LYRICS?
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
>> YOU TALK.
I'VE TALKED QUITE A BIT.
>> Stephen: ESPECIALLY IF YOU WRITE THE LYRICS, YOU SHOULD
PROBABLY TALK.
>> LET ME SAY SOMETHING, SHE'S VERY MODEST BUT SHE WRITES ALL
THE LYRICS IN THE SHOW.
>> I LOVE IT.
I LOVE OUR SHOW SO MUCH.
I LOVE OUR MUSICAL.
I LOVE EVERYBODY IN IT.
I LOVE OUR WHOLE CREATIVE TEAM.
THIS GUY, SERVING REALLY FUNNY.
HE'LL SEND ME BANJO TUNES AND THEY'LL HAVE THE PERFECT TONE
AND I'LL BE ABLE TO SING'S CHARACTER'S PART.
>> Stephen: HOW DO THE LYRICS COME TO YOU?
DO YOU LISTEN TO THE MUSIC FIRST AND HAVE IMAGES?
WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
>> WELL, WITH OUR FIRST RECORD, IT WAS AS IF SOMEBODY TURNED A
PROJECTOR ON IN MY MIND.
I SAW LITTLE MOVIES AND ALL I HAD TO DO WAS SING THEM OUT.
BUT FOR THE MUSIC, OBVIOUSLY, I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF OUR
CHARACTERS AND THEIR STORIES AND HOW THEY FEEL.
>> Stephen: THE-- THE THING THAT IS SURPRISING TO ME IS THAT
YOU-- YOU DON'T WRITE LYRICS TO YOUR SONGS NORMALLY.
>> I DO, I DO WRITE LYRICS.
BUT IN THE CASE OF THE MUSICAL, EDIE WRITES THE LYRICS AND WE
COWROTE THE MUSIC TOGETHER EXCEPT SHE HAS A COUPLE SONGS
SHE WROTE BY HERSELF, AND THEY'RE NOT VERY GOOD.
>> Stephen: THIS IS BASED ON A TRUE STORY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, A VERY TRAGIC STORY.
>> IT'S BASED NOT ON A TRUE STORY BUT A TRUE EVENT.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO.
>> AN EVENT AN INCIDENT BUT YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE FACTS -- LIKE,
IF SOMEBODY FALLS OFF A BUILDING, YOU DON'T KNOW-- LIKE
I'M GOING TO DO TONIGHT-- YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LED UP TO THAT
AND WHAT WAS THE AFTERMATH.
BUT THE EVENT THAT EDIE DISCOVERED IN THE NEWS FROM 1904
WAS THAT A BABY HAD BEEN DISCOVERED IN A SUITCASE THAT
HAD BEEN THROWN FROM THE TRAIN-- FROM A TRAIN.
>> Stephen: AND THE BABY WAS ALIVE.
>> THE BABY LIVED AND WAS RAILED BY A DIFFERENT FAMILY.
AND THIS WAS AN ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY BUT THEY NEVER FIGURED OUT
WHAT HAPPENED.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU FIND THIS STORY?
WHAT LED YOU TO THIS STORY?
>> STEVE SENT A BANJO TUNE AND I HEARD MYSELF SINGING, "WOO-OOO.
>> I WISH I HAD MY BANJO.
>> Stephen: I ALWAYS KEEP A BANJO BACK HERE.
IT'S A REALLY NICE ONE.
PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
>> I THOUGHT-- I THOUGHT THAT ABOUT YOU, THAT YOU ALWAYS KEPT
A BANJO HANDY.
>> Stephen: I DON'T PLAY.
I JUST KEEP A BANJO BACK HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) IN CASE SOMEBODY RUSHES THE
STAGE, I TAKE THEM OUT WITH IT.
>> COULD BE A RESULT OF THE COLD MEDICINE.
>> Stephen: COULD BE.
NONE OF THIS MAY BE HAPPENING.
>> I DON'T-- WAKE UP!
WAKE UP, STEPHEN!
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: YOU DON'T KNOW.
YOU DON'T REALLY KNOW.
>> YOU'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE.
( LAUGHTER ) THERE WAS THIS LITTLE BIT.
I'LL PLAY IT REALLY QUICKLY.
DO YOU MIND?
♪ WOOO-OOO BABY ♪
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WOOO, BABY AND THAT LED TO A STORY FOR YOU.
>> TELL HOW.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST TUNE HE SENT WHERE I DIDN'T GET THAT
PROJECTOR SENSE OF IMAGERY.
I THOUGHT THAT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT LIKE A TRAIN TO ME WITH
WOO-WOO.
I GOOGLED NAMES OF SOUTHERN TRAINS BECAUSE I WANTED TO FIND
A REAL TRAIN AND SEE WHERE IT RAN.
AND THE FIRST TRAIN THAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS THE IRON MOUNTAIN.
IS AND WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE IRON MOUNTAIN IT OFFERS THIS
STORY OF THE IRON MOUNTAIN BABY ABOUT THIS PAEB WHO HAD BEEN
THROWN OFF THE OF IRON MOUNTAIN.
AND I SAY THE SADE THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE STORY FOR A SONG.
PLUS THE WOMAN WHO RAISED THE BABY WAS NAMED SARAH JANE.
AND I SAID HER NAME RHYMES WITH TRAIN.
THIS HAS GOT TO HAPPEN.
>> Stephen: WELL, IT DID, AND IT'S CALLED "BRIGHT STAR" AT THE