from a small country town to a big and lonely city from a sweet country girl to a woman with no pity once a man with money now so ragged and funny as he cries one dime for wine mister one dime for wine from a cool shady lane to a hard concrete jungle from a man once respected to a man so low and humble once so full of pride now hangs his head and softly cries one dime for wine mister one dime for wine what makes this man stoop so low and beg for money who is the man holding out his hand who could he be then i saw my own sad reflection in the water in the gutter off the street and i realized that lowly man is me one dime for wine mister one dime for wine