Bostic was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He turned professional at age 18 when he joined Terrence Holder's band. He made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in 1942 where he played along with Red Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Sid Catlett, Teddy Wilson and Hampton. Before that he performed with Fate Marable on New Orleans riverboats. Bostic graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans. He worked with territory bands as well as Arnett Cobb, Hot Lips Page, Rex Stewart, Don Byas, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk and other jazz luminaries. He formed his own band in 1945, and turned to rhythm and blues in the late 1940s. His biggest hits were "Temptation," "Sleep," "Flamingo," "You Go to My Head" and "Cherokee." At various times his band included Jaki Byard, John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Tommy Turrentine, Keter Betts, Sir Charles Thompson, Teddy Edwards, Tony Scott, Benny Carter and other musicians who rose to prominence in jazz. Bostic held his musicians to a high standard and demanded that they read music faultlessly. He was influenced by the great Sidney Bechet. John Coltrane in turn was influenced by Earl Bostic. James Moody said that Bostic was the chief influence on John Coltrane. Moody mentioned that "Bostic knew his instrument inside out, back to front and upside down."
His virtuosity is documented in records such as Up There In Orbit, Earl's Imagination, Apollo Theater Jump, All On, Artistry by Bostic, Telestar Drive, Liza, Lady Be Good and Tiger Rag. Bostic was a master of the blues and he used this skill in a variety of musical settings. Although Bostic recorded many commercial albums, some notable jazz based exceptions on the King label include Bostic Rocks Hits of the Swing Age, Jazz As I Feel It and A New Sound.
Bostic's King album titled Jazz As I Feel It featured Shelly Manne on drums, Joe Pass on guitar and Groove Holmes on organ. Bostic recorded the King Album "A New Sound" about one month later again, featuring Holmes and Pass. These recordings allowed Bostic to stretch out beyond the 3 minute limit imposed by the 45 RPM format. Bostic was pleased with the sessions which highlight his total mastery of the blues but they also foreshadowed musical advances that were later evident in the work of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy.
He wrote arrangements for Paul Whiteman, Louis Prima, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden and Alvino Rey.
Bostic's signature hit, "Flamingo" was recorded in 1951 and remains a favorite among followers of Carolina Beach Music in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Their style of Beach Music is heavily influenced by Rhythm-and-Blues music from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Bostic recorded for Cincinnati-based King Records, a small label that was well known for releasing "R and B" and Bluegrass records. In fact, the biggest star on the King label was "the Godfather of Soul", James Brown. Bostic was also popular among R&B and jazz followers in the United Kingdom, thanks to his records that were released on the Parlophone label.
Bostic died from a heart attack in Rochester, New York, while performing with his band in 1965. His widow, Hildegarde, was still living in San Francisco as of the mid-1990s.
Third Man Theme
Earl Bostic 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
Earl Bostic's song "Third Man Theme" is a beautiful and haunting melody that takes the listener on a nostalgic trip down memory lane. The song starts with the sound of a zither, which initiates a wave of memories in the listener’s mind. The lyrics talk about how the zither brings back memories of Vienna, a city known for its music, romance, and culture. As the music plays, memories of lost love, past happiness, and youthful exuberance come flooding back.
The lyrics of the second stanza talk about how the melody reminds the listener of someone they left behind in Vienna, and the love that was lost. The song then moves on to describe the exuberance of Vienna's carnival and carousel rides, the beautiful Danube river at night, and how the music of the zither brings back the magic of those memories. Finally, the lyrics speak to how the listener is enchanted by the melody, and how the song has become a part of them, something that they can't live without.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to Vienna and its culture, and how music has the power to transport us back in time, reliving past memories, and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
When a zither starts to play
As soon as you hear the sound of the zither
You'll remember yesterday
Your mind will take you back to the past
In its haunting strain
As the melody lingers, it creates an eerie and alluring atmosphere
Vienna lives again
The memories of Vienna come alive in your head
Free and bright and gay
The memories are joyful and full of life
In your mind a sudden gleam
Your mind experiences a sudden spark of recognition
Of a half forgotten dream
Of a dream that you have long neglected
Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
The melody of the third man theme brings back the memory of the forgotten dream
Once again there comes to mind
Another memory comes to your mind
Someone that you left behind
Someone you loved and left behind
Love that somehow didn't last
The love that didn't survive the test of time
In that happy city of the past
In the happy memories of the past city
Does she still recall the dream
You wonder if she still cares about the same dream
That rapture so supreme
That overwhelming happiness and pleasure
When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
When she first heard the mesmerizing third man theme
Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
The happy memories of carnivals, carousels, and Ferris wheels with colorful parasols
The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
The memories of the beautiful Danube nights and the dancing lights come back alive
The zither's sweet refrain
The melody of the zither repeats itself
Keeps swirling in your brain
That melody keeps circling around in your mind
Like new may wine
Like a freshly made wine with its own unique flavors and aromas
Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
The memories of Johann Strauss II's waltzes and the gentle glow of candles
And the laughter of long ago
And the sound of the laughter of those well-remembered times
Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
Together, they create a magical harmony, taking you back to the days that feel like they happened today
You never knew that you could be
You never realized that such a melody could bring all these emotions
Enchanted by a melody
You are completely captivated by the melody
The years will never drive it out
Time will never make you forget this melody
You don't know why
But you cannot explain why the melody is so important to you
It's something you can't live without
It's a part of your life that you cannot part with
You hear it in the twilight hush
You hear it in the quiet and peaceful moments
And in the morning traffic rush
You hear it even in the noisy and chaotic moments of your day
A song that's always new
This is a song that never becomes old or outdated
In your heart a part of you
It always remains a part of your emotional being
Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
This melody always brings back bright memories to your mind
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anton Karas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind