After time in the Army Reserves, Paxton moved to New York City where he frequented the city's Greenwich Village coffeehouse circuit. His early success in Greenwich Village coffeehouses led to an ever-increasing circle of work. He made his professional debut at the Gaslight, the renowned folk haunt that also issued the singer's first album. In 1962 Gaslight Records would press 2,000 copies of his debut album, I'm The Man Who Built The Bridges.
Paxton also auditioned to join the Chad Mitchell Trio, but although he failed, the group enjoyed a 1963 hit with "The Marvelous Toy," one of Paxton's early songs. Paxton performed at the 1963 Newport Folk Festival, a performance that would be recorded-and released-by Vanguard Records. Paxton would go on to record a second album with Vanguard-at the Newport Folk Festival the following year - but his association with that record company lapsed, and it would not be until the year 2000 that Vanguard once again released a Tom Paxton album, Tom Paxton: Best of the Vanguard Years. In 1964 Paxton was signed to Elektra Records for whom he recorded his best-known work. Then in 1965 he made his first tour of the United Kingdom - the beginning of a still-thriving professional relationship that has included at least one tour in each of the succeeding years.
He and his wife Midge have been married since 1963 and have two daughters, Jennifer and Kate. All three women have served as inspiration for many of Paxton's songs. He now has three grandsons, Christopher, Sean, and Peter.
In addition to songwriting, Tom Paxton has written many critically acclaimed children's books, some of which were inspired by his songs for children.
He has performed thousands of concerts around the world in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland, Ireland and Canada. Paxton enjoys a strong relationship with fans throughout the world. His songs have experienced enduring appeal, including modern standards such as "The Last Thing on My Mind" (perhaps Paxton's best-known song, it has been recorded by dozens of artists, including Judy Collins, Sandy Denny, Dolly Parton, and Porter Wagoner), "Ramblin' Boy", "Bottle of Wine", "Whose Garden Was This", "The Marvelous Toy", and "The Hostage" (which recounts the 1971 uprising at Attica State Prison).
In February 2002, Tom Paxton was honored with the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award in Folk Music. A few days later, he received three Wammies (Washington, DC, Area Music Awards); as Best Male Vocalist in the "traditional folk" and "children's music" categories, and for Best Traditional Folk Recording of the Year for Under American Skies (the duo album he made with Anne Hills in 2001). This was the first Paxton album to receive an award of any kind.
Paxton has been nominated four times for Grammy Awards in his career, all since 2002.
In 2004, the Martin Guitar Company introduced the HD-40LSH Tom Paxton Signature Edition acoustic guitar in his honor.
In 2005, Paxton received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at BBC Radio 2's Folk Awards at London's Brewery Arts Centre.
In 2006, Paxton received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance.
On January 22, 2007, Paxton was honored with an official UK Parliamentary tribute at the British House of Commons at the start of his 2007 United Kingdom tour.
On May 3, 2008, Paxton was honored with a special lifetime tribute from the World Folk Music Association, and a concert was held at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria Campus, in Alexandria, Virginia.
About the Children
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This timely interruption is a great relief to me.
I wish he'd stay all day, I'd never have to say,
About the children.
You're looking really lovely, and the dress is really you.
The necklace I remember, but the bracelet must be new.
But that's another day, I clear my throat and say
Oh, they'll be away at school, they'll have the camps to go to.
And they're much too young to know how hard it is to go through.
Ah, these were to be the years for us, making love in the afternoon,
No worries anymore
About the children..
The conversation's civilised, we calmly nod our heads,
You're smiling as you always do, but your napkin is in shreds.
You'd like to run away, oh, who'd be the first to say
About the children.
Oh, they'll be away at school, they'll have the camps to go to.
And they're much too young to know how hard it is to go through.
Ah, these were to be the years for us, making love in the afternoon,
No worries anymore
About the children..
The conversation's civilised, we calmly nod our heads,
You're smiling as you always do, but your napkin is in shreds.
You'd like to run away, oh, who'd be the first to say
About the children.
About the children
Tom Paxton's song "About the Children" is a poignant reflection on the bittersweet nature of parenthood and the sacrifices made for the sake of children. The song takes the form of a conversation between two people, one of whom is clearly a parent struggling to balance their desires with the needs of their children. The lyrics are rich with imagery and emotion, capturing the complex feelings of love, frustration, and longing that come with raising a family.
The song's opening verse sets the scene for the conversation, with the singer expressing relief at the waiter's interruption. This suggests that the conversation has been difficult up until this point, and that the topic of the children is a sensitive one. The second verse focuses on the appearance of the other person, introducing the theme of how life has changed since the children were born. The third verse picks up on this theme, contrasting the idyllic image of making love in the afternoon with the harsh reality of parenting. The final verse sees the conversation begin to fray as both parties struggle to convey their feelings about the children.
Overall, "About the Children" is a moving exploration of the joys and challenges of parenthood. It captures the conflicting emotions that come with raising a family, and the way in which children can both enrich and complicate our lives. The imagery and language used in the song are simple yet affecting, making it a powerful example of Tom Paxton's songwriting talent.
Line by Line Meaning
The conversation pauses, while the waiter pours our tea,
We stop our conversation as the waiter pours tea which is a relief to me.
This timely interruption is a great relief to me.
I am glad for this interruption as it helps me avoid talking about the children.
I wish he'd stay all day, I'd never have to say,
I wish the waiter could be here all day so that I would never have to bring up the topic of the children.
You're looking really lovely, and the dress is really you.
You look beautiful in that dress and it really suits you.
The necklace I remember, but the bracelet must be new.
I remember the necklace you're wearing but I think that bracelet is new.
But that's another day, I clear my throat and say
That's not important right now, so I cough to gather my thoughts and start talking about the children.
Oh, they'll be away at school, they'll have the camps to go to.
The children will be busy with school and camps, so they won't have to deal with the current situation.
And they're much too young to know how hard it is to go through.
The children won't understand the struggles we're going through as they're too young to comprehend.
Ah, these were to be the years for us, making love in the afternoon,
These were supposed to be the best years for us, enjoying each other's company and intimacy.
No worries anymore About the children..
We used to not have any worries about the children, but now everything has changed.
The conversation's civilised, we calmly nod our heads,
Our conversation is polite and courteous, we listen to and acknowledge each other.
You'd like to run away, oh, who'd be the first to say
You feel like running away from this conversation, but neither of us want to be the one to say it.
About the children.
We are having this conversation because we are concerned about the well-being of our children and how they will be affected by the changes in our lives.
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.