zen ▁lie ▁that ▁Billy ▁tells ▁and ▁cons iders ▁accepting ▁his ▁stories . ▁She ▁later ▁decl ines ▁Lucy ' s ▁inv itation ▁to ▁a ▁dance , ▁but ▁priv ately ▁reflect s ▁on ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁she ▁would ▁have ▁gone ▁to ▁a ▁dance ▁(" W ay ▁Back ▁in ▁the ▁Day "). ▁ ▁Flash ing ▁back ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁a ▁six teen - year - old ▁Alice ▁fl ir ts ▁with ▁Jimmy ▁Ray ▁Dob bs ▁in ▁her ▁h omet own ▁of ▁Z eb ul on , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁(" Who a , ▁M ama ") ▁When ▁Alice ▁returns ▁home ▁later ▁that ▁night , ▁her ▁parents ▁repr im and ▁her ▁while ▁p onder ing ▁her ▁un fortun ate ▁future . ▁(" F ir mer ▁Hand / Do ▁Right ") ▁Meanwhile , ▁Jimmy ▁Ray ▁returns ▁home ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁lect ured ▁by ▁his ▁father , ▁Mayor ▁Jos iah ▁Dob bs , ▁on ▁what ▁the ▁future ▁holds ▁for ▁him ▁(" A ▁Man ' s ▁G otta ▁Do "). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁upon ▁receiving ▁encourag ement ▁from ▁Alice ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁ten ▁doll ar ▁check , ▁Billy ▁dec ides ▁to ▁sett le ▁down ▁in ▁As he ville ▁and ▁dedic ate ▁his ▁time ▁to ▁writing . ▁Mar go ▁reflect s ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁other ▁hopes ▁for ▁her ▁future ▁with ▁Billy , ▁but ▁she ▁dec ides ▁to ▁put ▁her ▁hopes ▁aside ▁and ▁be ▁support ive ▁of ▁his ▁dream s . ▁(" As he ville ") ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2