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SONG TITLE: OLD DOGS, CHILDREN AND WATERMELON WINE
PERFORMER: TOM T HALL
SONGWRITER: TOM T HALL
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1972
COMMENTS: What a sad, gentle lament this song is. It is the tale of a lonely, introspective old black man sweeping the floor of an empty bar. He contemplates the ultimate failure of nearly all human pursuits. After a lifetime of experience, these were the only three things worth anything.
This song boasts one of Hall's best melodies. Listen to the long, wistful tones lifting his notes up and away. The phrasing of the title is as good a hook as ever graced a country ballad.
He gets it both ways in the arrangement. He is so country to start with, then add the slow down home harmonica. Then add the classical string section. The ultimate arrangement and the emotional impact end up coming off like a classic Ray Charles sobber. I'd damned sure like to see the guy take a crack at this; it's right up his alley.