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.
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.