Gene Watson – The Old Man And His Horn

About The Song

“The Old Man And His Horn” is a country song performed by Gene Watson, released in January 1977 as a single from his Capitol Records album Beautiful Country. Written by Dallas Harms, the 4:11 track narrates the story of an elderly musician recalling his days playing his horn in New Orleans, with lyrics like: “The old man told his story / About the years gone by / How he played his horn down in New Orleans / In some old dingy dive.” The song reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1977, charting for 14 weeks. It became a fan favorite and was later featured in compilations such as The Best Of The Capitol Years (2015) and Eighteen Greatest Hits (1999). The story follows a protagonist meeting the old man in a bar, hearing tales of Dixieland, Po’ Folks Blues, ScatMan Jack, and wine, only to learn from a waitress that the man had died and was buried on Basin Street.

The song was recorded in late 1976 at Jack Clement Recording Studio in Nashville, produced by Larry Butler. Specific session musicians are not widely listed, but it likely involved Nashville players like Hargus “Pig” Robbins on piano and Pete Drake on steel guitar, typical of Watson’s recordings then. The arrangement includes acoustic guitar, soft percussion, and a mournful steel guitar. The chord progression is G-C-D, with the refrain “Slapped his knee and gave a grin / It sure was good back then,” per classic-country-song-lyrics.com. Live versions appear on YouTube, including a 2008 upload titled “Old Man and His Horn” and a 2019 clip from Country Road TV. Watson performed it on Larry’s Country Diner in 2017.

Gene Watson, born Gary Gene Watson on October 11, 1943, in Palestine, Texas, is a country singer known for his traditional style and baritone voice. He gained fame with hits like “Love in the Hot Afternoon” (1975) and “Fourteen Carat Mind” (1982), charting over 75 singles, including six No. 1s and 23 top tens on the Billboard country charts. “The Old Man And His Horn” was part of his successful Capitol years. No notable covers exist, though it appears on karaoke platforms like Smule. Watson said in a 1977 Country Music interview: “Dallas wrote a story that felt so real to me—I could see that old man in my mind.”

The song is on Spotify, included in the 1977 album Beautiful Country, 1990 Greatest Hits, and 2015 The Best Of The Capitol Years. YouTube hosts uploads like a 2012 audio post, a 2017 live performance, and a 2022 release by Universal Music Group. Lyrics are on Genius, Lyrics.com, and JioSaavn. Fans on ReverbNation note its storytelling, and an X post on May 8, 2025, called it “a touching piece of country history.”

Video

Lyric

The old man told his story
About the years gone by
How he played his horn down in New Orleans
In some old dingy dive
“I knew ’em all back then,” he said
As he reached out for his horn
He closed his eyes and wet his lips
Then the blues were born

He played with so much feelin’
Tears came from his eyes
He stopped and reminisced a bit
And then he gave a sigh
Said, “You know, I almost made it
But that was before your time
Dixieland, Po’ Folks Blues
ScatMan Jack and wine”

Slapped his knee and gave a grin
It sure was good back then
Reaching for his horn on the floor
Placed it in an old towsack
That hung across his back
He said “Goodbye!”
And shuffled out the door

Enthused by what he told me
I never got his name
So I called the waitress over
And started to explain
A tired old man, his tarnished horn
Mem’ries of years gone by
How he played his horn and reminisced
Smiled with tear-dimmed eyes

She said you are mistaken
There’s been no one but you
But I know who you’re talkin’ ’bout
I used to know him, too
You’ll find him down on Basin Street
In back of an old churchyard
A stone that reads, “Rest in Peace”
I tried but it sure was hard

Slapped his knee and gave a grin
It sure was good back then
Reaching for his horn on the floor
Placed it in an old towsack
That hung across his back
He said “Goodbye!”
And shuffled out the door