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Talking Old Soldiers
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Background "Talking Old Soldiers" was first included on Elton John's third album, Tumbleweed Connection, in 1971 . Recently, with the release of the Deluxe Edition of this album, a rare demo version of this song (clearly much rougher than the final product) was also included . Though having achieved little fame, the song is a favorite among many fans of Sir Elon's early muscial endeavors (pre-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) alongside Bernie Taupin. The Song--Lyrics and Meaning Sir Elton's "Talking Old Soldiers" opens on a rather sobering note--a young man strolls into a bar to find an elderly war veteran hunched over his barstool . The younger patron offers to buy the old man "another glass of beer" . What unfolds is a juxtaposition of young and old, and a subsequent reconciliation as both discover what they nevertheless share. The lyrics, not John's piano work (though as usual it compliments Bernie's prose beautifully) dominate this track, their simplicity making the true meaning of the song easily accessible yet no less relevant. Through simple dialogue, the old man expresses his frustration over the later generation's apathy towards the sacrifices made by he and his fellow soldiers ("I know what their sayin' son/There goes old man Joe again/Well I may be mad that I've seen enough/ To make a man go out his brains"). Furthermore, the old man pits his experience against their apathy, proclaiming " Well do they know what it's like to have a graveyard as a friend/Cause that's where the are, boy" . In the end, the old man thanks the younger for his time. They both recognize that, along with alcohol, each share a realization, that in the end, one's memories are what allow individuals to persevere--even after a life long-lived . Reference John, Sir Elton and Taupin, Bernie. "Talking Old Soldiers". Tumbleweed Connection. Mercury Records; 1970. 
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