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.
Annie's Going To Sing Her Song
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is one you mustn't miss:
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
A drink for me, a drink for you;
You're going to need a drink or two:
Annie's going to sing her song,
You never heard it sung before;
I hear it twice a month or more,
Complete with tears and sheepish grins;
It only lacks the violins.
The tune goes flat from time to time,
The lyric sometimes fails to rhyme,
But Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
La la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la,
Annie's going to sing her song
Called "Take Me Back Again."
It sometimes lasts the whole night long,
Depends on how long she's been gone,
I sit and look as hard as nails;
She knows the damn thing never fails.
Take the bottle, fill your cup;
Don't miss the part where I fold up;
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
La la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la,
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
It isn't Annie's only tune;
The other I'll be hearing soon,
Next week, tomorrow, or today;
She sings it when she goes away.
Take the bottle, fill your cup;
Don't miss the part where I fold up;
Annie's going to sing her song,
Called "Take Me Back Again;"
Come on, Annie, sing you song,
Called "Take Me Back Again."
The lyrics of Tom Paxton's song "Annie's Going to Sing Her Song" describe a scene where Annie is about to perform a song called "Take Me Back Again." The singer predicts that audiences will love the song despite its flaws, as Annie's music is always compelling. People are advised to get a drink or two to be ready for the song. The lyrics highlight the fact that the song has several shortcomings, including a repetitive tune, flat pitches, and lyrics that sometimes do not rhyme.
The singer describes the song's unparalleled ability to evoke emotions from the listeners, regardless of how many times they've heard it or how long the song takes. The song may last the whole night, depending on how long Annie has been away. The singer observes the emotions of the audience and can tell that the song never fails to connect with them on a deep emotional level. The song's appeal lies in its heartfelt emotions, and Annie sings it every time she goes away.
The lyrics of this song highlight the universal appeal of music that transcends genre. The audience may not care about Annie's ability to sing perfectly in tune or even for the lyrics' grammar, yet they connect with the song's emotions. Tom Paxton's "Annie's Going to Sing Her Song" is a tribute to the timeless nature of music and its power to bring people together.
Line by Line Meaning
What's your hurry? Just watch this.
Don't be in a rush. Take the time to see this.
This is one you mustn't miss:
This is a performance you shouldn't miss.
Annie's going to sing her song, Called "Take Me Back Again."
Annie is going to sing her song called "Take Me Back Again".
A drink for me, a drink for you; You're going to need a drink or two:
Let's have a drink, because we're going to need it to listen to the song.
You never heard it sung before; I hear it twice a month or more, Complete with tears and sheepish grins; It only lacks the violins.
You haven't heard this song before, but I have. People usually cry and look sheepish when Annie sings it. The only thing it's missing is the violins.
The tune goes flat from time to time, The lyric sometimes fails to rhyme, But Annie's going to sing her song, Called "Take Me Back Again."
Sometimes the tune isn't perfect and the lyrics don't rhyme, but Annie is still going to sing the song.
La la la la la la la, La la la la la la la, Annie's going to sing her song Called "Take Me Back Again."
The song includes some "la la las" and is still called "Take Me Back Again" and Annie is going to sing it.
It sometimes lasts the whole night long, Depends on how long she's been gone, I sit and look as hard as nails; She knows the damn thing never fails.
The song can last all night, depending on how long Annie has been away. I look calm and collected, but Annie knows the song always gets to me.
Take the bottle, fill your cup; Don't miss the part where I fold up; Annie's going to sing her song, Called "Take Me Back Again."
Let's pour ourselves some more drinks and make sure to pay attention to the part where I feel emotional. Annie is going to sing the song.
It isn't Annie's only tune; The other I'll be hearing soon, Next week, tomorrow, or today; She sings it when she goes away.
Annie has other songs, and I'll be hearing one of them soon. She usually sings it when she's leaving.
Come on, Annie, sing you song, Called "Take Me Back Again."
Encouraging Annie to sing the song called "Take Me Back Again".
Contributed by Carson Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.