John Prine, Mac Wiseman - Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine lyrics

"How old do you think I am?"
"Well, I don't know"
"I turned 65 about 11 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 Ironsides 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 themselves
When menfolk ain't around
And friends are hard to find 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