In this week’s Saturday Song one of my favorite bands returns with a recent Saturday favorite. Back in May I shared a live version of this tune and a bit of the story behind it, but just last month the Lumineers released the official video, and I’m even more in love than I was before. I don’t know the name of the actress who plays the cab driver, but I adore her. She’s perfect. And there is just something about her smile when she meets eyes with cellist Neyla Pekarek during the band’s cameo.

On the band’s web page Wesley tells the story: 

“Cleopatra made me cry in the studio and I had to stop the take. It’s inspired by a true story about a female taxi driver who, when she was younger, was proposed to. But her father had just passed away, so she didn’t give her boyfriend an answer. So he left the village broken-hearted and rejected and never returned again. He was her great love and she wouldn’t wash the footprints off the floor after he had left.

I knew immediately that I wanted to write a song about the story because it was so haunting and poetic. And I got to meet the lady herself eventually and she was very honest and humble. She really affected me because of the sadness in her story. In today’s world, we are just inundated with images of grandness and how great everyone’s life is. And it’s not true. In fact, it’s depressing. This was a real and honest story.”

-Wesley Schultz

I can’t find a quote, but it’s rumored that our taxi driver will be back for more of her story in future videos. Let’s hope so.