Berlin, who was Jewish, was one of the few Tin Pan Alley/Broadway songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his songs. Although he never learned to read music beyond a rudimentary level, he composed over 3,000 songs. Many of his songs, including "God Bless America", "White Christmas", "Alexander's Ragtime Band", and "There's No Business Like Show Business," left an indelible mark on American music and culture. He produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores, in addition to his individual songs.
The Old Man
Irving Berlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long as he wants to go opposite to the foe
We'll stay with the old man wherever he wants to stay
Long as he stays away from the battle's fray
Because we love him, we love him
Especially when he keeps us on the ball
And we'll tell the kiddies we answered duty's call
With the grandest son of a soldier of them all
The Old Man is a patriotic and uplifting song by Irving Berlin, written during World War II. The lyrics describe a group of people who are willing to follow an old man, wherever he wants to go, as long as he leads them "opposite to the foe." The lyrics can be interpreted in a few different ways. On one level, they are simply literal, as the old man is likely a veteran and a source of inspiration for those around him. On a deeper level, however, the song can also be read as a statement about the power of collective action and the importance of having a shared sense of purpose in the face of adversity.
The emotional tone of the song is one of reverence and gratitude. The implied context is that there is a war happening, and the people who are singing the song are part of the effort to defeat the enemy. They are committed to following the old man, who is perhaps a former soldier or someone who has been in battle before. They trust him implicitly, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to help their cause.
Line by Line Meaning
We will follow the old man's lead and be loyal
We will do whatever the old man wants us to do regardless of how difficult it may be, as long as it is in opposition to our enemies
We will stick with the old man through thick and thin
We will stand by the old man in whatever situation he finds himself in, as long as he avoids getting involved in any battles
We love him for his leadership qualities
We admire the old man's ability to keep us focused and productive
We will proudly tell the children we did our duty
We will let the younger generation know that we followed a brave and honorable leader, and that we did our part
We did it all for the greatest soldier ever known
Our loyalty to the old man is inspired by our admiration for his military service and his outstanding character
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHRIS BROWN, KATE FENNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind