Talking Old Soldiers Lyrics
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
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
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
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

This is one of my favorite songs, period. It has such rich, heart-wrenching lyrics and such a sad, dissonant chord progression that never quits but just pounds the mood even further into your gut. The chords and song just march toward the singers inevitable demise just like time does in one's life.
There are two main meanings that I glean. My favorite way to interpret this song is as an anti-war protest. I suppose I'm reading my own meaning into it, though, because you never really find out how his friends died. I envision that he lost them at war and that he's hanging out at a bar that they drank at when they were all alive in the military, or perhaps from his childhood with kids he enlisted with.
The other obvious interpretation is simply of loneliness and the growing solitude that age and the death of loved ones can bring.
Minor themes touched on are the despair of alcoholism, societal apathy (you're right there's so much going on, no one seems to want to know), and a seeming advocacy of caring for others (So keep well, keep well old friend And have another drink on me). This song has so many beautiful and synergistic sad layers in the lyrics, which when combined with the predominately minor chords makes a powerful, powerful song.

I think the lyrics are mistaken. "there goes old man Joe again"....doesn't make sense. Because the next line is "well I may be mad at that"...so the previous line should be "there goes old mad Joe again." Listen to the song, there's no "n" at the end of the word "man." Obviously the protagonist knows his mind is pretty shot, and he's been driven mad by death and destruction, I guess today they'd call it PTSD. It's almost startling how Elton and Bernie got inside this old man's head like modern day Doestoyevski's.