THE THIRD MAN THEME
(aka The Harry Lime Theme, The  
aka Zither Melody, The)

From the film "The Third Man" (1949)
(Anton Karas / Walter Lord)

Anton Karas (Instru.) - 1950
Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (Instru.) - 1950
Freddy Martin & His Orch. (vocal: Merv Griffin) - 1950
Hugo Winterhalter & His Orch. (Instru.) - 1950
Victor Young & His Orch. (vocal: Don Cherry) - 1950
Owen Bradley & His Quintet (Instru.) - 1950


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



*******************
THIRD MAN THEME, THE (alternative lyrics)
Anton Karas (m) Michael Carr (l) Jack Golden (l)

as recorded by Donald Peers (live)  
February 2nd 1950


It's The Zither Melody,
Everywhere you go they play;
Very very soon,
This fascinating tune
Steals your heart away.

Once you've heard the sweet refrain,
It will run around your brain,
For you can't resist The Zither Melody.

When the lights are soft and low,
Lovers there with eyes aglow
To this theme
They dream a dream;
All the while they're swayin' to and fro.

First it has you feeling sad,
Then dancing merrily;
Oh, you will love The Zither Melody.

In a little cafe in Vienna there's a man
Who plays the zither like you never heard it played before!
He wrote the melody,
Strange notes and harmony
You will adore!
Rhythm that makes you dance
With the feeling of real romance;
When you hear it played I know that you'll ask for me!

You never dreamt that you could be
Haunted by a melody,
Something that's completely new;
I'm warning you,
it simply thrills you through and through!

The Zither Melody is rare,
It really seems to fill the air,
It's with you all the time,
The theme song of Paree life!



(Transcribed by Peter Akers - December 2012)

****************

THE HARRY LIME THEME - SONG VERSION
Anton Karas (music) & Michael Carr & Jack Golden (lyrics)

(Music featured in the film "The Third Man")


It's the Zither Melody, 
everywhere you go they play,
Very very soon 
this fascinating tune, 
steals your heart away.

Once you've heard this sweet refrain, 
it will run around your brain
For you can't resist the Zither Melody.

When the lights are soft and low, 
lovers sit with eyes aglow,
To this theme 
they dream a dream, 
all the while they're swaying too and fro.

First it has you feeling sad 
then dancing merrily
Oh, you will love the Zither Melody.

In a little cafe in Vienna there's a man 
who plays the zither like you've never heard it played before
He wrote a melody, strange notes and harmony 
you will adore.
Rhythm that makes you dance with a feeling of real romance
When you hear it played I know that you'll ask for more - maestro play an encore.

You'd never dream that you could be 
so haunted by a melody,
It's something that's completely new, 
I warning you, 
it simply thrills you thru' and thru'.
The Zither Melody is rare, 
it really seems to fill the air,
It's with you all the time, 
the theme song of Harry Lime - Yes!

It's the Zither Melody, 
everywhere you go they play,
Very very soon this fascinating tune, 
steals your heart away.
Once you've heard this sweet refrain, 
it will run around your brain
For you can't resist the Zither Melody.

Copyright 1950
Published by Chappell & Co Ltd
50 New Bond Street, London, W1




(Contributed by Paul Daniel - July 2009)