The Third Man
Malcolm Lockyer And His Orchestra Lyrics
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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 melancholy tune that reminisces about Vienna and the memories that the city evokes. The lyrics suggest that hearing the zither - the main musical instrument used in the song - brings back memories of happier times and lost love. The singer reflects on the city's vibrant and joyful past and remembers the people, events and places that are associated with it.
The lyrics are divided into three parts. In the first part, the singer describes the zither's haunting melody and how it evokes memories of the past. In the second part, the singer remembers someone they left behind in Vienna and ponders whether they too remember the zither and the memories it brings back. The final part celebrates the city's past and the magical memories that it holds.
The song's depiction of Vienna as a place of beauty and joy is contrasted with the reality of the city's recent history. The song was written and recorded in 1949, just four years after the end of World War II, during which Vienna had been occupied by American, British, Soviet, and French troops. This disparity is a testament to the power of music to transport us to another time and place.
Line by Line Meaning
When a zither starts to play
As soon as the zither, a musical instrument, is played, it triggers memories of the past.
You'll remember yesterday
The melody of the zither makes one remember the events of the past.
In its haunting strain
The melody of the zither is very emotional and makes one feel sorrowful.
Vienna lives again
The melody of the zither takes you back to Vienna where you relive your memories.
Free and bright and gay
Memories of Vienna are filled with freedom, brightness, and happiness.
In your mind a sudden gleam
The music creates a sudden visual image and feeling in the mind.
Of a half forgotten dream
The image and feeling in the mind is of a dream that was only partially remembered.
Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
The image and feeling in the mind appears to become stronger when hearing the melody of the third man theme.
Once again there comes to mind
The melody brings back memories once again.
Someone that you left behind
Memories of someone who was left behind come back to mind.
Love that somehow didn't last
This someone left behind represents a love that didn't last in the past.
In that happy city of the past
This someone was left behind in Vienna, a city that represents a happy time in the past.
Does she still recall the dream
The song poses the question of whether this person also remembers the same dream during their time in Vienna.
That rapture so supreme
The dream was a moment of supreme joy and happiness.
When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
The person's memory of the dream was first triggered by the melody of the third man theme.
Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
The song mentions things that might be seen during a fun time, like carnivals, carousels, wheel rides, and parasols.
The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
The song references the Danube river, which might symbolize a happy time in Vienna when the nights sparkled with dancing lights.
The zither's sweet refrain
The zither's melody repeats and continues to bring back memories of the past.
Keeps swirling in your brain
The melody of the zither keeps rotating and repeating in one's mind.
Like new may wine
The melody is as intoxicating as the new wine made in the month of May.
Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
The song mentions other classic musical pieces, such as Strauss waltzes, accompanied by the glow of candle light.
And the laughter of long ago
Memories of laughter from a long time ago resurface with the melody of the zither.
Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
The music has the power to fill the room with magic and create the illusion that one is experiencing the events of yesterday as if it were today.
You never knew that you could be
The song reveals that it is surprising that one can be affected so strongly by a melody.
Enchanted by a melody
The melody of the zither is magical and has a strong impact on the listener.
The years will never drive it out
The memories evoked by the melody will never be forgotten in the years to come.
You don't know why
The listener doesn't know why the melody has such a strong impact.
It's something you can't live without
This melody has become such an important part of the listener's life that they can't imagine living without it.
You hear it in the twilight hush
The melody is heard during a time of silence and reflection, such as in the evening twilight.
And in the morning traffic rush
The melody is heard during a busy time of the day, such as in the morning traffic rush.
A song that's always new
The melody of the song never gets old; it always feels new and fresh.
In your heart a part of you
The melody has become a part of the listener's heart and soul.
Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
When the melody of the third man theme is heard, it brings back all of the happy memories from the past, and the listener's heart and soul are filled with joy.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anton Karas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@joshmaxin7188
I was watching this with a friend and I flipped out and yelled out "fucking The Third Man"
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@Ejmukm
just saw that part
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Just finished that episode