Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine Songtext
von John Prine & Mac Wiseman

How old do you think I am?
Well, I don′t know
Man, I turned 65
About eleven months ago

I was sittin' in Miami
Pouring blended whiskey down
When this old gray, black gentleman
Was cleaning up the lounge

There wasn′t anyone around
Except this old man and me
The guy who ran the bar
Was watching "Ironside" on TV

Uninvited, he sat down
And opened up his mind
On old dogs and children
And watermelon wine


"Have you ever had a drink
Of watermelon wine?" He asked
He told me all about it
Though I didn't answer back

Ain't but three things in life
Worth a solitary dime
That′s old dogs and children
And watermelon wine

He said, women think about they-selves
When the menfolk ain′t around
And friends are hard to come by
When they discover that you're down

You know, I tried it all when I was young
And in my natural prime
Now it′s old dogs and children
And watermelon wine

Old dogs care about you
Even when you make mistakes
God bless little children
While they're still too young to hate


When he moved away, I found my pen
And copied down that line
About old dogs and children
And watermelon wine

I had to catch a plane up to
Atlanta that next day
As I left for my room
I saw him picking up my change

That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep
Of shady summertime
Of old dogs and children
And watermelon wine

Old dogs and children
And watermelon wine