Saturday Song: Rita Hayworth and 100 Other Lovers

I like the idea of a Saturday Song. So much new music has been in my life these last few years, and I don’t often share it on the Dad Poet. But this morning, a friend posted a quote on Facebook from one of my favorite Stephen King Stories, and it got me thinking of this video from Devotchka. They seem to just be made for each other.

The quote is from King’s Novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The 1994 movie with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman got the shorter title, Shawshank Redemption, but I love the original best. I believe the quote was from Freeman’s character about the protagonist:

Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they somehow fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.

DeVotchKa, I am told is Russian for “the girl.” Maybe they meant Rita Hayworth? Nah, probably not, but I love that this Colorado band took on the name, because it makes today’s blog post seem like kismet to me. King’s words and DeVotchKa’s video just belong together, like tea and biscuits.

The title of the song in the video is also the title of their album from last year, “100 Other Lovers.” I imagine Rita had at least that many too.