When I am an old man,
I shall wear my old slippers
whenever I choose,
Have popcorn and pickles
while on my armchair cruise.
Dance around in my bathrobe,
put my false teeth in a jar,
Make friends of my enemies,
and talk love, not war.
Eat ice cream for breakfast
and spend some days abed,
Nod off in the sunshine
over books I've not read.
I'll drink milk from the carton,
eat peaches from their tin,
And throw away my neckties,
grow whiskers on my chin.
Make music on an old guitar
to chase away the blues
And scratch where it itches,
forget to shine my shoes.
Wink at the girls
and give a big grin,
Notice the sunsets
and let the dogs come in.
On holidays I'll wear fine shirts,
plaid trousers that are loose,
And let one of the youngsters
carve the turkey or the goose.
But now, we must get to work on time,
Save every nickel, penny and dime.
Be proper and prim,
stay healthy and fit,
Pay our taxes and not complain about it!
But maybe I'll begin doing
some of these things now,
Like forgetting my manners
when I'm eating my chow.
So our friends will recognize me
on that faraway day,
When suddenly I am old
and begin acting that way!