"Talking Old Soldiers" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It is the ninth track (fourth track on side two) of his third studio album, Tumbleweed Connection in 1970.

The song tells the story of chance meeting of a young man and an old man inside a bar. The old man describes his loneliness and his former comrades who died in combat. It is implied—"I've seen enough to have a man go out his brains"—that the old man has PTSD. The old man also thanks the young man for listening; no one else in the bar would.

In a Rolling Stone interview, John said that it "was a very David Ackles-influenced song." In fact, the album itself is dedicated "with love to David."

This is my favorite EJ song from his past with songwriter Bernie T. After they split, EJ got more into POP songs, but, what a talent he still is. I don't know how he re-invented his singing after his vocal chord probems with surgery in 1987 but ..he did..Chet