The Third Man Theme
Don Baker Trio Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Don Baker Trio's "The Third Man Theme" speak to the power of music to evoke memories and emotions. The haunting strain of the zither, an instrument often associated with German and Austrian folk music, takes the listener back to the streets of Vienna and all the memories and emotions associated with that city. The lyrics touch upon a lost love, someone left behind in Vienna's past, whose memory is reignited by the music. The song paints a vivid picture of Vienna in all its glory - the carousels, Ferris wheels, and dancing lights. The music of Strauss and the laughter of long ago fill the magic chords, making it seem like today. Ultimately, the song speaks to the idea that music can transport us to another time and place, evoking emotions we thought were long forgotten.


Line by Line Meaning

When a zither starts to play
As soon as the beautiful sound of the zither starts playing


You'll remember yesterday
You'll be taken back to the past and your memories of yesterday


In its haunting strain
The music is sweet and evocative


Vienna lives again
The city of Vienna rises up again


Free and bright and gay
The city is lively and cheerful once more


In your mind a sudden gleam
Your mind will be filled with a vivid image


Of a half forgotten dream
A dream you had forgotten about will emerge in your mind


Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
You feel this dreamy state only when the third man theme plays


Once again there comes to mind
Your mind turns to


Someone that you left behind
A person you had to leave behind


Love that somehow didn't last
The relationship that came to nothing


In that happy city of the past
In that beautiful city of the past


Does she still recall the dream
Does that person still remember the dream


That rapture so supreme
That supreme happiness


When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
When she heard the third man theme for the first time?


Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
The happy and exciting elements of life


The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
The nights of the Danube, the shining dance lights will shine again


The zither's sweet refrain
The zither's delightful melody


Keeps swirling in your brain
The melody keeps circling in your mind


Like new may wine
Like new wine from May


Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
The waltzes of Strauss and the glow of the candles


And the laughter of long ago
And the joyous laughter from the past


Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
Fill the magical chords and make it seem like it's happening now


You never knew that you could be
You never imagined that you could be


Enchanted by a melody
So taken by a melody


The years will never drive it out
Even the passing years won't erase it


You don't know why
You don't understand why


It's something you can't live without
It's something you can't bear to be without


You hear it in the twilight hush
You hear it in the silence of the evening


And in the morning traffic rush
And even in the morning traffic chaos


A song that's always new
A song that feels new every time you hear it


In your heart a part of you
A part of you, deep in your heart


Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
Shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTON KARAS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@hectorcanales4527

Que buen tema de este trio americano, famoso en las Vegas durante 7 años.
Sus compañeros eran Milt Holland Junto a Irv Cottler , ambos bateristas y Jo Samuels al piano
Es un gran interprete del Órgano de tubos Hammond. Gracias por subir esta joyita.

@quaxk

great cover of karas tune

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