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"How old do you think I am?" he said. |
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I said, well, I didn't know. |
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He said, "I turned 65 about 11 months ago." |
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I was sittin' in Miami, pouring blended whiskey down |
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When this old gray, black gentleman was cleaning up the lounge. |
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There wasn't anyone around, except this old man and me. |
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The guy who ran the bar was watching Ironside on TV. |
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Uninvited, he sat down and opened up his mind |
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On old dogs and children and watermelon wine. |
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"Ever had a drink of watermelon wine?" he asked. |
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He told me all about it, though I didn't answer back. |
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"Ain't but three things in this world that's worth a solitary dime, |
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But old dogs and children and watermelon wine." |
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He said, "Women think about theyselves, when men-folk ain't around. |
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And friends are hard to find when they discover that you're down." |
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He said, "I tried it all when I was young and in my natural prime, |
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Now it's old dogs and children and watermelon wine." |
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"Old dogs care about you even when you make mistakes. |
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God bless little children while they're still too young to hate." |
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When he moved away I found my pen and copied down that line |
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'Bout old dogs and children and watermelon wine. |
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I had to catch a plane up to Atlanta that next day. |
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As I left for my room I saw him picking up my change. |
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That night I dreamed in peaceful sleep of shady summertime, |
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Of old dogs and children and watermelon wine. |
