Tiomkin was born in Kremenchug, Ukraine and educated at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. He emigrated in 1925 to the United States and became an American citizen in 1937. Although influenced by Eastern European music traditions, he was able to score typical American movies like Frank Capra's famous Lost Horizon (1937) or It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and also Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), both with James Stewart. He also worked on Fred Zinnemann's High Noon (1952), which also won him a "Best Song" Oscar for "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin'(The Ballad of High Noon)". In 1954, he won the Academy Award for best song of the John Wayne film The High and the Mighty.
Many classic scores followed, many of which were also in Western movies, like The High and the Mighty (1954), Giant (1956), Friendly Persuasion (1956), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Rio Bravo (1959), The Alamo (1960), Town Without Pity (1961) or 55 Days at Peking (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) and many more.
Besides cinema he was also active in writing for the small screen, writing some memorable television theme-songs, as for Rawhide (1959) and Gunslinger. He was also hired to write the theme for TV's The Wild Wild West (1965), but the producers rejected his themes and hired Richard Markowitz.
Dimitri Tiomkin died in London, England in 1979 and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimitri_Tiomkin)
Giant
Dimitri Tiomkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On this, our weddin' day
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
Wait, wait along
I do not know what fate awaits me
I only know I must be brave
And I must face a man who hates me
Or lie a coward in my grave
Oh, to be torn 'twixt love and duty
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty
Look at that big hand move along
Nearin' high noon
He made a vow while in state prison
Vowed it would be my life or his'n
I'm not afraid of death but oh
What will I do if you leave me?
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
You made that promise as a bride
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin'
Now that I need you by my side
Wait along, (wait along) wait along
Wait along, wait along
(Wait along, wait along, wait along, wait along)
The lyrics of Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington's song "High Noon" tell the story of a groom on his wedding day who must abandon his bride to face a dangerous enemy who has sworn to kill him. The groom pleads with his bride not to leave him and to remember her promise to remain by his side. He is torn between his love for his bride and his duty to face the looming threat, which is represented by the big hand of the clock that is "nearin' high noon." The groom fears for his life, but he is even more afraid of losing his bride. He begs her to wait for him, even if it means waiting a long time.
The song was written for the western film "High Noon," which was released in 1952, and the lyrics were sung by Tex Ritter. The film was directed by Fred Zinnemann and starred Gary Cooper as the groom, Will Kane, who must face a gang of outlaws alone. The film was celebrated for its innovative use of real-time storytelling and its themes of courage and duty. The song captures the tension and drama of the film, and its haunting melody and lyrics have made it a classic of American popular music.
Line by Line Meaning
Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'
Please do not abandon me, my beloved
On this, our weddin' day
Today is our wedding day
Wait, wait along
Please wait patiently for me
I do not know what fate awaits me
I'm unsure of what's in store for me
I only know I must be brave
All I know is I need to be courageous
And I must face a man who hates me
I have to confront a man who despises me
Or lie a coward, a craven coward
Otherwise, I'll be a disgrace, a coward
Or lie a coward in my grave
I'd rather die than live as a coward
Oh, to be torn 'twixt love and duty
It's difficult to choose between love and responsibility
S'posin' I lose my fair-haired beauty
What if I lose the one I love?
Look at that big hand move along
The clock is ticking
Nearin' high noon
The crucial moment is almost here
He made a vow while in state prison
He swore to kill me while serving his sentence
Vowed it would be my life or his'n
He promised to take one of us down
I'm not afraid of death but oh
Although I'm not scared of dying,
What will I do if you leave me?
I can't imagine how hopeless I'd be without you
You made that promise as a bride
You gave me your word on our wedding day
Although you're grievin', don't think of leavin'
Even though you're mourning, please don't abandon me
Now that I need you by my side
I need your support now more than ever
Wait along, (wait along) wait along
Please stay put for a bit longer
Wait along, wait along
Hang on a little while more
(Wait along, wait along, wait along, wait along)
Please be patient with me and wait
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MAX STEINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nicholas Stix
After all the years, and all the times I've listened to this opening theme, it still gave me chills.
Noel Johanson
OMG, WHY DON'T WE HAVE MOVIES LIKE THIS TODAY???
LM R
I've listened to, I don't know, 300, 400 scores in my young life, and this is one of the best main themes I've listened to. It's just full of power and magnificence.
Tommy Truth
As is the State of Texas.
The OG Mother Ship
A majestic piece that holds the power of Texas in it sweeping planes of music. Thank you for uploading.
Mitch Regal
Giant is one of my favorites. I love this soundtrack. Thanks for posting!
Tom Armbruster
Three cheers to anyone who recognized this, 10 minutes into the Sochi closing ceremony. I was disappointed that the NBC commentators missed it. Nor did the New York Times list Tiomkin among the many composers they did list.
Diana Monnich
The first thing I said was "why are they playing the theme song from Giant when it is about Texas?" - glad I wasn't the only one!
nanksyhanks
Diana Monnich I asked my husband if he thought Putin was having a song played about Texas because he had such a good time here riding a horse in Crawford
phil rice
I caught it! I was disappointed also.