About The Song
“Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine” is a reflective country story song by Tom T. Hall, released in November 1972 as the second single from his Mercury Records album The Storyteller. Written by Hall, it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for one week in January 1973, charting for 13 weeks, and reached No. 24 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. The 4:01 track, inspired by a conversation Hall had with an elderly janitor at the Carillon Hotel in Miami Beach during the 1972 Democratic National Convention, celebrates life’s simple joys: “Old dogs and children and watermelon wine / He said women get better when they get a little older.” Hall’s conversational baritone, paired with minimalist instrumentation, delivers the narrative with warmth and wisdom, as Rolling Stone noted: “It’s Tom T. at his storytelling peak, turning a bar chat into poetry.” Hall told CMT in 1998, “That old man’s words stuck with me—truth don’t need much dressing up.” The song earned a 1973 CMA nomination for Single of the Year and remains a beloved classic.
Recorded in 1972 at Mercury Custom Recording Studio in Nashville, the track was produced by Jerry Kennedy, with uncredited Nashville A-Team players likely including Harold Bradley on guitar, Pete Drake on steel guitar, and Charlie McCoy on harmonica, per Discogs. The sparse arrangement—acoustic guitar, light steel, and subtle percussion—lets Hall’s lyrics shine, as AllMusic praises: “It’s a campfire tale, intimate and universal.” The album reached No. 8 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The G-C-D chord progression and “ain’t but three things in this world worth a solitary dime” refrain, per Chordify, gave it radio and jukebox appeal. A 1995 live version on Country Classics: American Legends and its use in the 1973 documentary Heartworn Highways kept it relevant, per Spotify.
Tom T. Hall, born May 25, 1936, in Olive Hill, Kentucky, was dubbed “The Storyteller” for his vivid, character-driven songs like “Harper Valley PTA” (1968) and “A Week in a Country Jail” (1970). With 12 No. 1 country hits, he shaped the 1970s singer-songwriter era, per Wikipedia, earning a 2008 Country Music Hall of Fame induction. “Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine” was a live staple, performed on Pop! Goes the Country in 1973 and at his 1980 Grand Ole Opry shows, with a YouTube clip showcasing his folksy charm. Covers include Mac Wiseman (1973), Bobby Bare (2005), and a 2018 tribute by Chris Stapleton, per SecondHandSongs. Reddit fans on r/country call it “a perfect slice of life,” with one 2023 post praising its “timeless philosophy.”
The song appeared in Heartworn Highways and no major films but thrives on streaming platforms, with Shazam users tagging its nostalgic melody. No controversies surround it—just Hall’s knack for finding profound truth in everyday moments, as No Depression notes: “Tom T. made simplicity profound.” Hall, who died August 20, 2021, left a legacy of lyrical genius, and this song remains a heartfelt ode to life’s enduring treasures.
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Lyric
“How old do you think I am?” he said
I said, “Well, I didn’t know”
He said, “I turned sixty-five about eleven months ago”
I was sittin’ in Miami, pourin’ blended whiskey down
When this old gray black gentleman was cleanin’ up the loungeThere wasn’t anyone around ‘cept this old man and me
The guy who ran the bar was watchin’ Ironside on TV
I said, “I’m writin’ songs, tell me what you think is fine”
He said, “Old dogs and children and watermelon wine”He said, “Women get better when they get a little older
Old dogs, they grow on you, they never leave your side
And watermelon wine, it’s sweet and it’s pure”
He said, “Ain’t but three things in this world worth a solitary dime
But old dogs and children and watermelon wine”He said, “I’ve tried it all when I was young, runnin’ wild and free
But I learned what’s worth havin’ from watchin’ life, you see”
He said, “The world don’t owe you no livin’, you gotta make your own
But them three things will keep you happy when you’re old and alone”Old dogs and children and watermelon wine
Ain’t but three things in this world worth a solitary dime
Old dogs and children and watermelon wine