Play Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Eve's dancing in the kitchen
Dancing away
While she makes the salad dressing
Whipping it up
While she dances
Dances on linoleum
Like she's fifteen again

She doesn't like Diana Ross' version
It's too 'I'm Diana Ross'
And Eve is not
Nor has she ever been
Diana Ross

She likes the way Marvin Gaye's voice
Slips right over Tammy Terrell's voice
It's as if he's catching her
Right before she falls
Into his gorgeous arms
That's what Eve imagines
When they play 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough'

Eve's son--Scott--is in the car
On his way home
From being fired
By someone half his age
And he is not thinking about his mother
Or having dinner at her house later
Or how the radio signals got mixed up
So that NPR became an Oldies station
But he likes the song
So he turns it up

He taps on the steering wheel
He thinks of how to tell his wife
That he's lost his job
That they'll have to move
That he's not altogether unhappy
About either situation
And he taps
Taps
Taps on the steering wheel

Scott sings along to the Marvin part
Pretends that Tammy is in the car with him
Pretends Tammy is his wife
Not Ann Marie
Who will no doubt
Cry for eight solid days
When she hears the news

He pretends he has a woman in his life
Like Tammy Terrell
Who will love him
Come hell or high water
Or the end of Motown
Or a really low valley
Or anything, really

He pretends that this woman is his wife
And she's the one who's saying
'If you need me, call me'
'No matter where you are'
'No matter how far'
God, he envies Marvin
The Marvin living in the radio
Dueting constantly
Never having to leave
The comforts of the airwaves

He pulls into his driveway
Trying not to smile
Because that will infuriate Ann Marie
But finding it difficult
Much more difficult
Than he imagined it would be

His niece--Danielle--is at school
She's helping decorate for the prom
Which will be held in the auditorium
Because the school is broke
Super Broke
Like there-almost-weren't-yearbooks
Broke

She left the radio on
To Craze 107FM
But somehow
The signal got scrambled
And that song from 'Stepmom' came on
And it wasn't a bad song
And she liked 'Stepmom'
So she left it alone

Hank Bradley was in the auditorium with her
They had been working silently
Under ladders
Under banners
Right next to each other
Not saying a word

But when the song came on
Danielle started to sway
Then Hank started to as well
Pretty soon they were swaying
But not dancing
Because Hank was dating Larissa
Because Danielle was dating Charlie
Because the world would crumble
If they danced together

But then Hank grabbed her
And strolled her across the auditorium
Like they were being judged
But at the same time, didn't care

There was dipping involved
There was dipping and strutting
There was laughter
And yes
There was kissing

Danielle felt horrible
But how horrible can you feel
When that song is playing?
Not that horrible
Not even a little

Back in Eve's kitchen
She thought of her husband
Out on the porch
Staring at nothing
Soaking up the neighborhood

She went out on the porch
And didn't say a word
She just started dancing in front of him
And he laughed
But didn't move

She had to grab him
Stand him up
But once she did
His old instincts came in
He used to take her dancing
All the time

So they danced out on the lawn
Where they could barely hear the music
And cars beeped as they went by
At the little old couple
At the song
Playing in their radios

Somewhere across town
Eve's granddaughter
Was dancing with a boy
She would never see again

And on the other side of town
Her son was dancing with his wife
Who cried for eight minutes
Then took Scott's hands
And said--

'We'll be fine'

Causing her husband
To take her hand
And lead her
To the radio