Too Old to Die Young
Rob Starr The Hollywood Singers and Orchestra Lyrics
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As empty as can be.
I can't sit under the apple tree
With anyone else but me.
For there is no secret lover
That the draft board didn't discover.
They're either too young or too old
The pickings are poor and the crop is lean.
What's good is in the army.
What's left will never harm me.
I'm either their first breath of spring.
Or I'm their last little fling.
I must confess to one romance,
I'm sure you will allow.
He tries to serenade me,
But his voice is changing now.
I'm finding it easy to stay good as gold.
They're either too young or too old.
I'll never ever fail ya, when you are in Australia
And flying over Egypt, your heart will never by gypped.
And when you get to India, I'll still be what I've been to ya,
I've looked the field over, and lo and behold!
They're either too young or too old.
The lyrics of "Too Old to Die Young" by Rob Starr & The Hollywood Singers and Orchestra speak of a town that has been left empty after the men marched away to the army. The singer cannot sit under the apple tree with anyone else but herself because all the pickings are poor, and the crop is lean. There are no secret lovers left as the draft board has discovered them all, and the only ones remaining are either too young or too old, too grey or too grassy green. This leaves her with a limited pool of choices, and she either ends up being someone's first love or the last fling. She confesses to having one romance, but the guy's voice is changing now, and she finds it easy to stay good as gold. She promises to be loyal to her lover even when he is far away from her, flying over Egypt or in India. She has looked around and realized that most of the eligible men are either too young or too old.
The song reflects the realities of life during the war, where most of the able-bodied men were drafted into the army, leaving very few options for romantic relationships. The lyrics highlight the struggles and loneliness faced by the women left behind, trying to make sense of the limited options they had in terms of love and companionship. It showed how people had to adjust to a new way of life, including romantic relationships, during times of war.
Line by Line Meaning
You marched away and left this town
You left and now the town is empty without you.
As empty as can be.
This town is now as empty as it can possibly be without you here.
I can't sit under the apple tree
I can't enjoy simple pleasures because of the absence of your company.
With anyone else but me.
No one else can help fill this void that you created when you left.
For there is no secret lover
There isn't a secret lover or someone waiting for me in the future, because of my situation.
That the draft board didn't discover.
No one is left untouched by the draft board - they know about everyone secretly involved in relationships.
They're either too young or too old
Everyone eligible is either too young or too old for me.
They're either too grey or too grassy green.
The pool of eligible people is either too old or inexperienced.
The pickings are poor and the crop is lean.
The options are few and far between, making it difficult to find someone.
What's good is in the army.
The best eligible men are already in the army.
What's left will never harm me.
The remaining options are not threatening, but also not ideal.
I'm either their first breath of spring.
I'm either their first and only serious romance, sort of like a new beginning.
Or I'm their last little fling.
Or I'm just a brief affair, which is not what I'm looking for and much less fulfilling.
I must confess to one romance,
I can admit to having had one romance, which was not too fulfilling either.
I'm sure you will allow.
I am sure you won't mind me sharing this information with you, as we are still friends.
He tries to serenade me,
He still tries to win me over with music.
But his voice is changing now.
However, he is not a kid anymore and his voice is changing; he is growing up.
I'm finding it easy to stay good as gold.
It's easy for me to remain loyal to you, because there are no better options.
They're either too young or too old.
Again, everyone else is either too young or too old, making it hard for me to move on.
I'll never ever fail ya, when you are in Australia
I will be here for you, always, even if you are far away, in Australia.
And flying over Egypt, your heart will never by gypped.
Even while you are travelling around the world, I will not let any other person pretend to replace me in your heart.
And when you get to India, I'll still be what I've been to ya,
When you reach India, I will still be the same person that you know and expect from me.
I've looked the field over, and lo and behold!
I have explored all my options, but sadly, there is no one else for me.
They're either too young or too old.
Once again, everyone else is either too young or too old for me to consider moving on.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR SCHWARTZ, FRANK LOESSER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind