The medieval town, church, monasteries are but backdrop for their faces at least Shirley was looking for love, they’re into self-love!Īs much as Dubrovnik was a prop for this theatrical song, I gathered from it something of the old world Jewish consciousness, at once cosmopolitan and provincial, realist and wise. In that way, she was somewhat like the tourists of today with their selfie sticks.
What does she care about sea powers like Venice that challenged it Napoleon’s betrayal certainly not Croatia’s Nazi collaboration! (Shirley visited in the ‘70s Yugoslavia was intact, so no need to think about the “War of Independence.”) On a mission, Shirley heads straight for the guys in Dubrovnik, never talking about the beauty of the fortified city, polished stones, swimming off rocky cliffs into azure blue waters. It was all delivered with broadest accent and humor. Not only are they Jewish New Yorkers, it turns out they live next door to each other on Riverside Drive! She had to go to borrow a thou’ and go to Yugoslavia to meet a lover next door. They introduce themselves: she’s Shirl Devore, he’s Norm Saperstein. Someone says, “Try Dubrovnik, dear, before you go home!” First day she met a guy on the beach who took her reason away. Not a looker, she strikes out all over Europe – London, Madrid, Mallorca, Berlin. Here’s the set-up of “Ring them Bells”: Liza Minnelli sings of Shirley Devore who goes capital hopping looking for a husband. Through all the hoops of irony and wit, I got a culture lesson which wasn’t wasted when I visited. Across all that time, Dubrovnik – exotic and homely, worldly and worldweary, embedded with lessons of travel – has stayed with me. Oh Ring them bells, come on, come on, ring them bells Make 'em sing, you'd better ring them bells It's such a happy thing to hear 'em ting-a-ling You gotta swing them, ring them, swing them, ring them be-ells.In the ’70s my parents had Liza Minnelli on heavy rotation, and that’s Dubrovnik first lodged in my head. Well - there's - a - moral to learn from little Shirley Devore, Who had to borrow a thou' to find a lover next door You girls who live in apartments, don't just stare at the wall, Open up the door and hurry out in the hallĪnd.
Yes, she was 'E', he was 'F', and they had not even met, Until she travelled the world to Yugoslavia yet He'd always been right next door and she would never have known, If she hadn't tried Dubrovnik, she might still be alone She also bombed out in Brussells, in Mallorca and Rome, **Til' someone said try Dubrovnik dear before you go home 'Cause it's the kind of a town where you'll be likely to fall, And all the toni Cognoscenti find the Balkans a ballĪnd so she went to Dubruvnik and the very first day, She met a guy on the beach who took her reason away Yes it was love at first sight and quite a beautiful scene, She said my name is Shirl Devore, he said I'm Norm Saperstein She said are you from New York, He said that can't be denied, I've got a swell junior three at number five Riverside Five? five Riverside Drive in New York, that's where you live? That's-that's where I live, Five? Are you sure? As if that wasn't enough, for Shirley thought she'd gone deaf, When he told her his apartment there was 29 F She met a Londoner first, but they did not hit it off, 'Cause every time she approached he got a bronchial cough And so she went to Madrid and met a handsome Senior, But he liked to throw the bull and he was no matador Well Shirley was 31, which she was loathe to admit, And she had never been loved, which didn't thrill her a bit And so she sat and she thought, she thought for hours on end, And said I'll go to Chase, Manhattan, where I got me a friendĪnd so she borrowed a thou' and called TWA, And told her mother and dad that she was up and away I'm gonna travel the continent, a month, maybe two, And haul me home a hus' if it's the last thing I do You gotta ring them bells, you gotta ring them bells, You gotta make 'em sing and really ring them bells It's such a happy thing to hear 'em ting-a-ling, You gotta ring - them - bells Well there was trouble inside apartment 29 E, 'Cause Shirley's mother and dad were as upset as can be They said we hate to complain dear and we don't like to grouse, But your nearly 32, you should get out of the house Gather around, I've got a story to tell, About a Manhattan lady that I know very well She lives at five Riverside, her name is Shirley Devore, And she travelled 'round the world to meet the guy next door About a year ago - I heard this truly terrific, absolutely true story And it just so happens that I told a couple of friends of mine this truly terrific, absolutely true story And it just so happens that these friends of mine are song writers And guess what happened, right, truly terrific, absolutely true song
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