John was raised in the Pinner suburb of London and learned to play piano at an early age, forming the blues band Bluesology in 1962. After leaving Bluesology in 1967 to embark on a solo career, John met Taupin after they both answered an advert for songwriters. For two years, they wrote songs for other artists, and John worked as a session musician for artists. John released his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, and a year later formed the Elton John Band and released his first hit single, "Your Song".
John's critical success was at its peak in the 1970s when he released a streak of chart-topping albums in the US and UK, which began with Honky Château (1972) and culminated with Rock of the Westies (1975). John continued his success in the 1980s and 1990s, having several hit singles and albums in both decades, and has continued to record new music since then. He has also had success in musical films and theatre, composing music for The Lion King, Aida, and Billy Elliot the Musical. In 2018, John began his ongoing farewell tour Farewell Yellow Brick Road, which is scheduled to conclude in 2023. The 2019 biopic Rocketman dramatized his life and career.
Outside of music, John is an HIV/AIDS charity fundraiser and has been involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. He established the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, which has raised over £300 million since its inception, and a year later he began hosting his annual Foundation Academy Awards Party, which has since become one of the biggest high-profile Oscar parties in the Hollywood film industry. John was the chairman and director of Watford F.C, from 1976 to 1987, and again from 1997 to 2002, and is an honorary life president of the club. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, John developed a severe addiction problem to drugs and alcohol but has been sober since 1990. He entered into a civil partnership with Canadian filmmaker David Furnish in 2005; they married after same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in 2014.
John has sold over 300 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has more than fifty Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart and US Billboard Hot 100, including nine number-ones in the UK and US, as well as seven consecutive number-one albums in the US. His tribute single "Candle in the Wind 1997", a rewritten version of his 1974 single in dedication to Princess Diana, sold over 33 million copies worldwide and is the best-selling chart single of all time. In 2021, John became the first solo artist with UK Top 10 singles across six decades.
John has received numerous awards, including five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards; including for Outstanding Contribution to Music; two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, a Disney Legend Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and is a fellow of The Ivors Academy. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music and charitable services in 1998 and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour by King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) in 2020.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John
Solo studio albums
Empty Sky (1969)
Elton John (1970)
Tumbleweed Connection (1970)
Madman Across the Water (1971)
Honky Château (1972)
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)
Blue Moves (1976)
A Single Man (1978)
Victim of Love (1979)
21 at 33 (1980)
The Fox (1981)
Jump Up! (1982)
Too Low for Zero (1983)
Breaking Hearts (1984)
Ice on Fire (1985)
Leather Jackets (1986)
Reg Strikes Back (1988)
Sleeping with the Past (1989)
The One (1992)
Made in England (1995)
The Big Picture (1997)
Songs from the West Coast (2001)
Peachtree Road (2004)
The Captain & the Kid (2006)
The Diving Board (2013)
Wonderful Crazy Night (2016)
Regimental Sgt. Zippo (2021)
Talking Old Soldiers
Elton John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well thanks a lot that's kind of you, it's nice to know you care
These days there's so much going on
No one seems to want to know
I may be just an old soldier to some
But I know how it feels to grow old
Yeah that's right, you can see me here most every night
Funny I remember oh it's years ago I'd say
I'd stand at that bar with my friends who've passed away
And drink three times the beer that I can drink today
Yes I know how it feels to grow old
I know what they're saying son
There goes old man Joe again
Well I may be mad at that I've seen enough
To make a man go out his brains
Well do they know what it's like
To have a graveyard as a friend
'Cause that's where they are boy, all of them
Don't seem likely I'll get friends like that again
Well it's time I moved off
But it's been great just listening to you
And I might even see you next time I'm passing through
You're right there's so much going on
No one seems to want to know
So keep well, keep well old friend
And have another drink on me
Just ignore all the others you got your memories
You got your memories
Elton John’s “Talking Old Soldiers” is a powerful song that speaks to the lonely isolation that can come with aging, especially when one’s peers have all passed away. The song takes the form of a conversation between an old soldier and a stranger in a bar. The soldier admits that he is there every night, and that he has seen many of his friends die. He speaks with a sadness that comes from the weight of all of this loss, and he tells the stranger that he knows what it’s like to grow old.
Throughout the song, the old soldier drinks and reminisces about the times he spent with his friends. He recalls standing at the bar with them and drinking three times the amount he can drink now. He says that he knows what people are thinking when they see him, but he doesn’t care. He has seen enough to make a man go out of his brains, and he is comforted only by his memories.
The song is powerfully evocative, painting a vivid picture of the isolation and loneliness that can come with aging. The soldier’s memories offer him solace, but they also remind him of all that he has lost. It’s a heartbreaking song that captures the bittersweet nature of memory and the inexorable march of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Why hello, say can I buy you another glass of beer
May I offer you another drink?
Well thanks a lot that's kind of you, it's nice to know you care
Thank you for your kindness, it's comforting to know someone cares.
These days there's so much going on
These days are filled with busyness and chaos.
No one seems to want to know
No one seems to care or take notice.
I may be just an old soldier to some
To some, I may be just an elderly veteran.
But I know how it feels to grow old
I know firsthand what aging is like.
Yeah that's right, you can see me here most every night
I come to this bar frequently and consistently.
You'll always see me staring at the walls and at the lights
I spend my time deep in thought, reflecting on the past.
Funny I remember oh it's years ago I'd say
It's amusing to think back on something I said many years ago.
I'd stand at that bar with my friends who've passed away
I used to spend time here with friends who have since died.
And drink three times the beer that I can drink today
I used to drink much more than I do now.
Yes I know how it feels to grow old
I understand what it's like to age.
I know what they're saying son
I know what people are saying about me.
There goes old man Joe again
There goes that elderly man named Joe.
Well I may be mad at that I've seen enough
I may feel anger about it because I've experienced enough in my life.
To make a man go out his brains
I've experienced things that could make a person go insane.
Well do they know what it's like
Do they truly understand what it's like?
To have a graveyard as a friend
To have lost so many friends to death.
'Cause that's where they are boy, all of them
Because all of my friends are now buried in graves.
Don't seem likely I'll get friends like that again
It doesn't seem probable that I'll have friends like that again.
Well it's time I moved off
It's time for me to leave.
But it's been great just listening to you
But it's been wonderful to simply listen to you.
And I might even see you next time I'm passing through
Perhaps I'll see you next time I'm in the area.
So keep well, keep well old friend
Take care, my old friend.
And have another drink on me
Enjoy another drink on my behalf.
Just ignore all the others you got your memories
Ignore the others around you, focus on your memories.
You got your memories
You still have your memories to cherish.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Dunay
Why hello, say can I buy you another glass of beer
Well thanks a lot that's kind of you, it's nice to know you care
These days there's so much going on
No one seems to want to know
I may be just an old soldier to some
But I know how it feels to grow old
Yeah that's right, you can see me here most every night
You'll always see me staring at the walls and at the lights
Funny I remember oh it's years ago I'd say
I'd stand at that bar with my friends who've passed away
And drink three times the beer that I can drink today
Yes I know how it feels to grow old
I know what they're saying son
There goes old man Joe again
Well I may be mad at that I've seen enough
To make a man go out his brains
Well do they know what it's like
To have a graveyard as a friend
'Cause that's where they are boy, all of them
Don't seem likely I'll get friends like that again
Well it's time I moved off
But it's been great just listening to you
And I might even see you next time I'm passing through
You're right there's so much going on
No one seems to want to know
So keep well, keep well old friend
And have another drink on me
Just ignore all the others you got your memories
You got your memories
Mark Blackman
I played in a piano bar for many years just piano and vocal and I played specific songs as requested by the owner. They were boring and twee so never received hardly any acknowledgment for my efforts. Then one evening after finishing a song I decided to throw in Talking old soldiers as I played something I wanted to play for once. I finished the song and got a standing ovation. That's the power of a truly great song. Thanks Elton.
MrGabeanator
wow
Classic Hits
Having also played 15 years in a piano bar, I can say with certainty while you felt the power of a great song, the listeners were applauding even more so because you were playing from your heart and soul - and not every musician has the ability to make that connection. I applaud you as well for that.
Mark Blackman
@Classic Hits Thank you for those kind words. There are so many wonderful songs written by John and Taupin and they're always pleasurable to play particularly the early years material. Anything from Tumbleweed connection or Madman across the water, truly great songs.
MrGabeanator
@Classic Hits good
Dennis P
TRUE STORY: This song came out when I was 18 and in the ARMY. I had just graduated boot camp (basic training) and I had R & R for the 4th of July weekend and went to New Orleans to meet my new wife. We booked into a motel and spoke finally falling asleep at about 4:30 AM. When I awoke, I was greeted by an envelope addressed to me along with my wife's wedding band. Yup...it was a "Dear John" letter. She had met a man she worked with and fell in love with him and was moving to Vermont to be with him. I sadly trudged back to Fort Polk and asked my Company Commander if I could take a week's leave of absence to go back to NYC and regain my wife. He told me nope and if he did it for me he would have to do it for any other troop that asked. I found myself in my barracks and play and play this song over and over and over. When time came to ship out, we all knew we were destined for Nam. BUT......my father had passed away just as I was about to leave. She wound up getting my an honorable discharge due to be being the only "sole surviving son." I fell in love with this song and played it over and over as if it was written for me. A year or two later, I found out about 92% of my basic training company had met their fate in Nam. I most certainly could have been one of them. About 8 years later I got an envelope in the mail and opened it. Inside was a photograph of my now "ex wife, and her 2 children." She wrote to me that the man she left me for had been drafted and perished in Saigon as the United States was conducting mass evacuations of all U.S. personal since Saigon's fall was imminent. Truth is indeed stranger then fiction. I heard no more from her. D.P.
Eric Underwood
Dennis P. Wow.... thanks for sharing that ...that's heavy!
coffeebaron1
so sad hope you are ok ..
pinkangelcat
Wow! Quite a story! I hope you are okay!
James Ko
Oh man, of all the shit I have ever read on YouTube. Your's the number one best comment of all time. This is some strange shit since I am living here in Saigon since 2011.