Old red wine, well past its prime,
May have to finish it, after crossing the line.
Dusty old wine, two thousand a time,
An inch of black mud always left behind.
They say you turned in while the sun still shined,
That gorgeous girl with you was highly primed.
She said she'd take you way down or way up,
She might break your heart, she might crack you up.
Old red wine, not worth a dime,
Gonna have to drink it with you some other time.
Expensive old wine, forty years lying,
Mice chewed the labels, don't know what we're buying.
Back home in California, they got wine for the meek,
There's a Bowl and a Fillmore, the Cow and the Greek.
You sniffed at the cork, chose low on the list,
As you dashed to the lights and gazed through the mist.
Old red wine, well past its prime,
Gonna have to drink it with you some other time.
Just let it breathe,
Oh, let it breathe,
Breathe life, breathe life.
Let it breathe,
Oh, let it breathe,
Let it breathe.


Lyrics submitted by Karma_Goodvibes

Old Red Wine Lyrics as written by Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend

Lyrics © Spirit Music Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Old Red Wine song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    The liner notes in "The Who: Then And Now" says that Townshend wrote this for Entwistle, after he died, in 2002.

    Great song.

    Karma_Goodvibeson May 13, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
The Spy
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Album art
when rules change
Life in Your Way
High life
Album art
Techno Ted
Audioslave
Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.