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Opening Monologue: “Vienna” Lyrics by Graham Greene

The Third Man

1949

I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy charm. Constantinople suited me better. I really got to know it in the classic period of the Black Market. We'd run anything if people wanted it enough - mmm - had the money to pay. Of course, a situation like that does tempt amateurs but you know they can't stay the course like a professional.
Now the city - it's divided into four zones, you know, each occupied by a power: the American, the British, the Russian and the French. But the center of the city that's international policed by an International Patrol. One member of each of the four powers. Wonderful! What a hope they had! All strangers to the place and none of them could speak the same language.
Except a sort of smattering of German. Good fellows on the whole, did their best you know. Vienna doesn't really look any worse than a lot of other European cities. Bombed about a bit. Oh, I was gonna tell you, wait, I was gonna tell you about Holly Martins, an American. Came all the way here to visit a friend of his.
The name is Lime, Harry Lime. Now Martins was broke and Lime had offered him, some sort, I don't know, some sort of job. Anyway, there he was, poor chap. Happy as a lark and without a cent.
Credits
Graham Greene

Graham Greene

About “Opening Monologue: “Vienna”” by Graham Greene

Read the complete lyrics to "Opening Monologue: “Vienna”" by Graham Greene from the album "The Third Man" in 1949. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Monologue, Screen.

"Opening Monologue: “Vienna”" is performed by Graham Greene. from the album "The Third Man" in 1949 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Opening Monologue: “Vienna”", explore more songs by Graham Greene using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Opening Monologue: “Vienna”" is credited to Graham Greene. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Opening Monologue: “Vienna”" appears on "The Third Man" in 1949.

Visit the Graham Greene artist page at /artist/graham-greene for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.