Teng’s musical style incorporates folk, pop, classical piano, and a cappella influences. She uses piano as her primary instrument and charges her lyrics with emotion, narrative, and personal history. Teng is a baseline alto but sings over a wide range.
Reaching the national spotlight at the end of 2002, pianist Vienna Teng had been an important part of the California singer/songwriter scene for a few years before then. A pianist since the age of five, Teng took piano lessons before moving on to improvisation. Writing feverishly throughout her youth, she eventually had a full album's worth of instrumentals by the age of 16.
Going to Stanford to further her education, she released an EP while going to school and recorded most of Waking Hour before she graduated. After releasing the record independently and taking it on the road with her, she scored an agreement with Virt Records and got national distribution in the fall of 2002. Comprised of many intimate songs that detailed the issues of a young adult, her music fell between the uptempo approach of Ben Folds and the theatrical chamber pop of Rufus Wainwright.
She followed up in early 2004 with the matured and critically acclaimed effort Warm Strangers, which charted on three separate Billboard charts. Touring with musicians like Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, and Patty Griffin over the years.
Teng next hooked up with producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux) for her next album, Dreaming Through the Noise, issued in July 2006. That summer, she began to tour with Duncan Sheik and continued a heavy concert schedule throughout 2007.
After relocating from California to New York City in 2008, Teng began work on her fourth full-length album, Inland Territory, which was released on Zoë/Rounder in 2009.
Between
Vienna Teng Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
though we lie entwined
to make room for the other presence
we both draw back in our minds
I have a prophecy
threatening to spill into words
this growing certainty
of Over
there once was a time I was sure of the bond
when my hands and my tongue and my thoughts were enough
we are the same but our lives move along
and the third one between replaces what once was love
freedom is being alone
I fear liberation
but something more alive than silence
swallows conversation
no pleasing drama
in subtle averted eyes
the swelling fermata
as the chord dies
there's no denying we feel the third one
we do
I'm tired of hiding and so are you
The opening lines suggest that although the two individuals are physically together, mentally they are separate - a result of the emotional distance that has grown between them. This is emphasized by the imagery of them lying "entwined" - physically close, but mentally pulling away from each other. It becomes even clearer in the next lines that they are both aware of this dynamic, and are actively trying to create space for the other person's presence. The use of the phrase "draw back in our minds" highlights the idea that while they may still care for each other, they are hesitant to be fully present in the relationship.
These feelings come to a head in the second stanza where the singer describes a "prophecy" they have about the relationship ending. They are uncertain whether to express this feeling in words, but the feeling is growing and becoming more certain as time passes. There is a sense of inevitability to the way the singer describes this - it feels like they are resigned to the idea that this relationship is no longer sustainable. The next lines offer a glimpse into what they once had - a strong bond that was built on physical, emotional, and mental connection. However, as time has passed, their lives have moved in different directions, and as a result, the "third one" has replaced their love.
The final stanza throws a new perspective into the mix, that of freedom. Here the singer admits that although they feel an inherent fear in being alone, there is something more unbearable than that - a state of silence where there is no communication or connection between two people. They acknowledge that they have been hiding this truth from each other, but they are both tired of doing so. The use of the phrase "third one" seems to suggest an outside force that has come between them, perhaps a metaphor for the changes that have occurred in both their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
we are not together here
Although physically lying together, we are emotionally disconnected.
though we lie entwined
We are lying close to each other, but not in a romantic sense.
to make room for the other presence
We are making space for someone who is no longer there.
we both draw back in our minds
We are mentally withdrawing from this situation.
I have a prophecy
I have a strong feeling that something is about to change.
threatening to spill into words
This feeling is so intense that I feel like I need to express it verbally.
this growing certainty
The feeling is becoming more and more apparent.
of Over
The feeling is that this relationship is coming to an end.
there once was a time I was sure of the bond
At one point, I was confident in the connection we had.
when my hands and my tongue and my thoughts were enough
When I could communicate my love for you through words and touch.
we are the same but our lives move along
We share the same characteristics, but our paths in life are different.
and the third one between replaces what once was love
The third person in this relationship has replaced the love we once shared.
freedom is being alone
Being alone is true freedom.
I fear liberation
I am afraid of breaking free from this relationship.
but something more alive than silence
However, I yearn for something more meaningful than silence.
swallows conversation
The need for deeper connection leaves no room for small talk.
no pleasing drama
I do not seek drama or excitement in this relationship.
in subtle averted eyes
Our unspoken communication speaks volumes.
the swelling fermata
The pause before the end of a chord represents the lingering feeling of the relationship.
as the chord dies
The relationship is coming to an end.
there's no denying we feel the third one
We both acknowledge that the third person is present in this relationship.
we do
It cannot be ignored.
I'm tired of hiding and so are you
We are both tired of pretending that everything is okay.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: VIENNA TENG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
blackrogueheart
Her voice always brings me back to better days. I especially love this song and Lullabye For a Stormy Night.
Jennifer Yohe
Vienna Teng is amazing. Truly. Her music is poetry to my soul. ♥
Sweety3900
Amazing song, love it!
G Scarlatti
Did not realize this song was in Deadliest Catch until I rewatched season 1. Great song
Hikari Ichizuka
I feel so lucky to have met this beautiful woman, and even luckier to be on a basically first name basis with her. Definitely love her music and looking forward to seeing her in concert again some day soon.
FieryWingedAngel
awesome song! Her lyrics are like poetry.
Karine Parry
I remember watching a Dancesport interpretive dance in San Diego to this song, and it was so beautiful.
Jennifer Yohe
3:01 - Plunged me headfirst into the most beautiful music artistry I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. :)
technicolor965
That's one interpretation. The other most popular interpretations that I know of are that the third is a new child, or that the third is physical distance (or emotional distance). There are others, of course, and this song can mean a thousand different things to a thousand different people and they will all be right. That's the cool thing about Vienna's songwriting. :)
Jake Blaine
Honestly Deadliest Catch is the very /last/ place I would expect to find a Vienna Teng song