He was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. He began playing the piano when he was only seven years old. In 1927 he went to Columbia College, intending to become an electrical engineer, but as a sophomore switched to a music major. Without graduating, he left to become an arranger. In the early 1930s, he wrote a number of songs that got recorded; all 'hot' novelty numbers, including "Mouthful O'Jam", "Business In F" and "Business In Q".
In 1934 he started leading a band of his own at Earl Carroll's club in Hollywood, California. Bleyer's orchestra recorded for Brunswick Records, and one of the vocalists who worked with this orchestra was Johnny Mercer, who became better known as a songwriter and co-founder of Capitol Records.
He became musical director for Arthur Godfrey in 1946, serving in this role until 1953. Many close to Godfrey considered Bleyer's creativity and understanding of music to be pivotal to the success of Godfrey's radio and TV programs. And while Godfrey was known to be short-fused and controlling, he often deferred to Bleyer's judgment in the areas of presentation and production.
In 1952 he founded Cadence Records, whose first artist was Godfrey alumnus Julius La Rosa. Along with several instrumental hit singles of his own, Bleyer went on to sign many other artists who had performed on Godfrey's programs (including The Chordettes, one of whose members, Janet Ertel, became his wife).
In the fall of 1953, Godfrey dismissed La Rosa on the air and later claimed the young singer "lacked humility," doing his own popularity considerable damage. That same day, Godfrey fired Bleyer, claiming he was offended when Bleyer recorded Chicago radio personality Don McNeill, host of Don McNeill's Breakfast Club. This Godfrey-like show was based in Chicago and broadcast nationally, but its popularity was mainly in the Midwest and tailored to that audience. Always insecure, Godfrey felt McNeill, whose show had once been a competitor, was still in competition though Godfrey was the dominant personality of his generation. Godfrey later claimed when he confronted Bleyer and threatened to fire him from at least one of the three shows Godfrey hosted, the conductor shrugged and told him to do what he had to do.
Radio historian John Dunning has suggested, in On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, that Bleyer's relationship with Janet Ertel was also a factor in Godfrey's decision to fire him; Godfrey tried to enforce a no-dating policy among his cast and fired several who dated each other. After leaving the show, Bleyer never made a public comment about his days with Godfrey. The public furor that surrounded LaRosa's firing and, to a lesser extent, Bleyer's, began the unraveling of Godfrey's seemingly unstoppable dominance of radio and TV as Bleyer's career was just beginning to blossom. The loss of Bleyer's expertise in staging and production matters, where he served as an informal mentor to Godfrey despite their age differences, was detrimental to Godfrey's programs.
While LaRosa was unable to sustain his early successes, later Cadence artists included Andy Williams and the label's biggest act of all, The Everly Brothers whose hits such as "Bye Bye Love" and "Wake Up Little Susie" were produced by Bleyer in Nashville with country studio musicians led by Chet Atkins. Bleyer circa 1963 was also the step father-in-law of Phil Everly. He had his own instrumental recording hits on the Cadence label as well. Don Shirley, who appeared on the label in 1955 with "Tonal Expressions". It became a Top 15 album in the spring of that year, reportedly selling more than 20,000 copies, a respectable debut for a jazz artist. Ironically, it was the only chart album Shirley was to enjoy, but his sales remained steady enough that he was with the label until it closed in 1964, cutting around a dozen long-play releases Don Shirley Discography.
Bleyer also had his limits to his tolerance for rock and roll. While he clearly, and correctly, viewed the Everlys as a commercially appealing, clean-cut act whose country-influenced harmonies could reach a vast following, he was not so tolerant of pioneer garage-rock guitarist Link Wray. In 1957, Bleyer reluctantly agreed to release his no-frills, roaring instrumental "Rumble" on Cadence in part due to his daughter's fascination with the song. Wray had a contract with Cadence, but in 1958 after he submitted a newly recorded album of similarly raw material recorded in Nashville, Bleyer was convinced the instrumental music was morally and musically inappropriate and shelved the album and canceled Wray's contract. The material wouldn't see the light of day for decades until it was acquired by the British Rollercoaster label.
Cadence had another major hit in 1962 with comic Vaughn Meader's album The First Family, which featured Meader's comedic sketches and his peerless impersonations of President John F. Kennedy. The album was an enormous seller, as was a followup, until Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Cadence always maintained a small roster of artists. Other Cadence hits included 14 chart hits by Johnny Tillotson, 10 by The Chordettes, 4 by Lenny Welch, 2 by Don Shirley.
In 1964, Bleyer, who was unable to accept the changing pop music market at the dawn of the British Invasion era, sold the Cadence label and all its recordings (except for certain material—like the Link Wray album—he kept to himself) to Andy Williams who formed Barnaby Records to manage the Cadence catalog.
He moved with his wife Janet to her hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin where he died of the effects of Parkinson's disease in 1989.
Bleyer was a free-mason, member of St. Cecile Lodge No. 568, New York City.
Third Man Theme
Archie Bleyer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll remember yesterday
In its haunting strain
Vienna lives again
Free and bright and gay
In your mind a sudden gleam
Of a half forgotten dream
Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
Once again there comes to mind
Someone that you left behind
Love that somehow didn't last
In that happy city of the past
Does she still recall the dream
That rapture so supreme
When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
The zither's sweet refrain
Keeps swirling in your brain
Like new may wine
Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
And the laughter of long ago
Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
You never knew that you could be
Enchanted by a melody
The years will never drive it out
You don't know why
It's something you can't live without
You hear it in the twilight hush
And in the morning traffic rush
A song that's always new
In your heart a part of you
Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
When a zither starts to play
You'll remember yesterday
In its haunting strain
Vienna lives again
Free and bright and gay
In your mind a sudden gleam
Of a well remembered dream
Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
Once again there comes to mind
Someone that you left behind
Love that somehow didn't last
In that happy city of the past
Does she still recall the dream
That rapture so supreme
When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
The zither's sweet refrain
Keeps swirling in your brain
Like new may wine
Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
And the laughter of long ago
Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
You never knew that you could be
Enchanted by a melody
The years will never drive it out
You don't know why
It's something you can't live without
You hear it in the twilight hush
And in the morning traffic rush
A song that's always new
In your heart a part of you
Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
The Third Man Theme is a nostalgic song that evokes the sights and sounds of Vienna, Austria. The song reminisces about the city's beauty and charm, portrayed through the zither's sweet melody. The lyrics reveal that the melody has a magical quality, causing a person to be enchanted by its tune. The song speaks of the memories of the past, the loves that were left behind in the city, and the dreams that were once realized there. The Third Man Theme symbolizes the city's history, culture, and long-lasting nostalgia that holds a place in the hearts of those who have visited the city.
The lyrics start with the line "When a zither starts to play, you'll remember yesterday," signifying that the melody holds a special place in the hearts of those who have heard it. The song's haunting melody is so powerful that it has the ability to bring Vienna to life in one's imagination. The lyrics then touch upon the memories of past loves, recalled through the melody of the Third Man Theme. The song goes on to describe the iconic scenes of Vienna; the Danube nights, the dancing lights, and the Strauss waltzes. The magic of the Third Man Theme brings the charm and beauty of Vienna to life, even for those who have never been.
Line by Line Meaning
When a zither starts to play
The sound of the zither will take you back in time.
You'll remember yesterday
You'll remember a time in the past.
In its haunting strain
The melody is a bit eerie, and has a melancholy feeling to it.
Vienna lives again
The music makes you feel like you're back in the city of Vienna.
Free and bright and gay
Vienna was once free and happy.
In your mind a sudden gleam
A memory pops up unexpectedly in your head.
Of a half forgotten dream
It's a memory that you haven't thought about in a long time.
Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
The music brings the memory back to life.
Once again there comes to mind
Another memory pops up.
Someone that you left behind
Someone you loved but had to say goodbye to.
Love that somehow didn't last
The relationship ended too soon.
In that happy city of the past
The memory takes place in Vienna, which was once a happy place.
Does she still recall the dream
You wonder if your former partner also remembers the good times.
That rapture so supreme
The memory was very special and intense.
When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
You both heard the song together for the first time.
Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
Fun activities that were common in Vienna.
The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
You can picture the beautiful Danube river and the lights of the city at night.
The zither's sweet refrain
The zither's melody is very sweet and pleasant.
Keeps swirling in your brain
The melody is so catchy that you can't get it out of your head.
Like new may wine
May wine is a traditional drink in Vienna that is consumed during spring festivals.
Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
The music of Johann Strauss Jr. added to the city's romantic atmosphere.
And the laughter of long ago
The memory brings back the sound of people laughing and having a good time.
Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
The music makes it feel like you're back in Vienna, even though the memory is from a long time ago.
You never knew that you could be
You had no idea that a song could affect you this much.
Enchanted by a melody
You feel captivated and charmed by the music.
The years will never drive it out
The memory will always stay with you, even as time goes on.
You don't know why
You can't explain why the memory and the music are so meaningful to you.
It's something you can't live without
The memory and the music are so important to you, they have become a part of who you are.
You hear it in the twilight hush
The music is calming and peaceful, especially at sunset.
And in the morning traffic rush
Even during the hustle and bustle of the day, the music is still on your mind.
A song that's always new
The music is timeless, and never gets old.
In your heart a part of you
The memory and the music have become a part of who you are, and will always be with you.
Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
The memory and the music are still vivid and powerful, and the song brings them right back to you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anton Karas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind