Sondre Lerche has written his very own James Bond theme. Or at least a Bond-themed song. 'Like Lazenby,' a track on Lerche's new album, 'Heartbeat Radio' -- which is due out on September 8 via Rounder Records -- finds the Norwegian pop singer-songwriter paying tribute to a lesser-known Bond actor -- George Lazenby. The song is written from the perspective of an older man, as Lerche imagines what the late Australian actor felt when he was not invited to repeat the role, leaving his career, and possibly his psyche, scarred.

"I'm a big Bond fan," Lerche tells Spinner. "I re-watched the film, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service,' because I saw an interview with [Lazenby]. He was asked about how it felt being the Bond with only one movie. In the interview, he was probably 65 years old. He was very graceful, but there was a certain sadness, a feeling of missed opportunity. I like to write songs about the grown-up man, in the twilight of his life, looking back."

Because of this fondness, Lerche is quite defensive of Lazenby. "People give him a hard time, he wasn't really an actor," he says. "He was a very popular male model from Australia, living in London in 1967, '68. But from what I understand, he didn't get along with some of the actors. There was a cockiness; somehow, it didn't gel. He says he quit, they say they fired him."

Still, as hooked as he is on Lazenby's story, the song didn't come easily. "I thought there had to be a song here. It took a long time to find it, though," he sighs, adding a cheery note: "My song is about a speech from his 70th birthday. He's making a toast from beyond the grave." Clarification -- he means the narrator of the song. Mr. Lazenby is still with us.