Theme
The Film Studio Orchestra 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 Film Studio Orchestra’s song “The Third Man Theme” speaks to the power of music to transport a listener back in time to relive moments of joy and excitement. The song is centered around a zither melody that is haunting and nostalgic, reminding the listener of the city of Vienna and the many experiences that they had there.
The lyrics are full of imagery referencing the joys of the past, such as carnivals, carousels, Ferris wheels, and parasols. The zither’s sweet melody “keeps swirling in your brain like new may wine”, drawing the listener into a state of reverie. Strauss waltzes, candle glow, and the laughter of long ago make it feel like the past is happening again in the present moment.
The song speaks to the undeniable power of music to evoke memories and emotions, and to transcend time and place. The listener is brought back to the happy city of the past where they experienced love, joy, and freedom, and these memories fill them with a sense of longing and nostalgia. Overall, “The Third Man Theme” is a beautifully evocative song that captures the magic 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 begins to strum its tune
You'll remember yesterday
Your mind will reminisce of the past
In its haunting strain
Through its eerie melody
Vienna lives again
Vienna's memories come to life
Free and bright and gay
Vibrant and lively
In your mind a sudden gleam
A sudden spark of a distant memory
Of a half forgotten dream
Of a dream that has been lost over time
Seems to glimmer when you hear the third man theme
The third man theme brings back memories of that forgotten dream
Once again there comes to mind
Your thoughts are filled with
Someone that you left behind
The person who you left in the past
Love that somehow didn't last
The love that faded away
In that happy city of the past
In that joyful place of long ago
Does she still recall the dream
Do they still remember the dream
That rapture so supreme
That supreme joy that they once felt
When first she heard the haunting third man theme?
When they first experienced the haunting third man theme
Carnivals and carousels and Ferris wheels and parasols
The sights and sounds of the carnival
The Danube nights, the dancing lights again will shine
The Danube River's nights, and the dancing lights will come back to life
The zither's sweet refrain
The zither's sweet melody
Keeps swirling in your brain
It keeps playing in your mind
Like new may wine
Like fresh May Wine
Strauss waltzes, candle-glow
The music of Strauss, and the warm glow of candlelights
And the laughter of long ago
And the echoes of laughter from the past
Fill the magic chords and make it seem like today
Creates the enchanting harmony that sounds like it's playing today
You never knew that you could be
It's something you never realized
Enchanted by a melody
To be captivated by a melody
The years will never drive it out
Time can never erase that memory
You don't know why
You don't know the reason
It's something you can't live without
It's something that you can't let go of
You hear it in the twilight hush
You hear it in the quiet evening
And in the morning traffic rush
And in the busy bustle of the morning traffic
A song that's always new
A melody that's ever-fresh
In your heart a part of you
A part of you that lives in your heart
Oh, shines so brightly when you hear the third man theme
That part of you shines brightly every time you hear the third man theme
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Anton Karas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Anderson
An excellent version I hadn't heard before, I grew up with the Jack Parnell and Jack Hawkin's versions
Paul Anderson
@bondbrookebond Yay !!! Thanks BBB
bondbrookebond
I know, some of the tracks on these Japanese albums are superb and quite faithful covers. More to come you will be pleased to know ;-)
garethbramley1
Never watched this programme though might have seen one episode when it was repeated many years ago. Not really my scene but the music by Jim Helms was excellent as is this cover version (which thankfully has no narration). I have an LP and 45; and even a cassette somewhere.
FSM issued the score on CD (coupled with 'Man In The Wilderness' by Johnny Harris) in November 2010.
bondbrookebond
Hello Gareth, nice to hear from you again, I have the album too somewhere, probably slotted in amongst my many martial arts vinyl albums..lol Yes this is an excellent cover and very faithful to the original.