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.
Bad Old Days
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sounds that really belong in music and someday I just might
Meantime I just lie here smiling wide wake at dawn
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
Oh, I wonder where my bad old days have gone
When I was lost with nothing to count on
Now I lie here smiling all night long
The danger's in the telling I'm tempted to be bright
When the truth is they were bad old days and didn't have to turn out right
I love you more than morning and part of the reason why
Is you helped me kiss those bad old days goodbye
Oh, I wonder where my bad old days have gone
When I was lost with nothing to count on
Now I lie here smiling all night long
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
You're quiet in the morning, you like to wake up slow
You need your coffee before you talk, I remember you tellin' me so
Was it sixteen years ago or was it yesterday
That you came and chased my bad old days away?
Now I wonder where my bad old days have gone
When I was lost with nothing to count on
Now I lie here smiling all night long
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
Now I lie here smiling all night long
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
The song "Bad Old Days" by Tom Paxton speaks about the love and gratitude that one feels after moving past a dark period in their life. The first verse talks about the peaceful sounds of the night, and how they could be turned into music. The singer is lying awake at dawn, grateful for their current situation, and wonders where the "bad old days" have gone.
The second verse is more introspective. The singer acknowledges that the "bad old days" were truly bad, and that they didn't have to turn out right. However, they love their partner more than anything, and one of the reasons why is because they helped the singer move past those dark times. The last verse speaks directly to the partner, detailing their morning routine and how they've been together for either sixteen years or just a day. Regardless of the length of their relationship, the partner chased away the "bad old days".
Overall, the song is about the power of love and how it can help people move past difficult times. The singer is grateful for their partner and their relationship, and wonders how they got so lucky as to leave their past behind.
Line by Line Meaning
The gentle sound of your breathing, the murmur of the night
The peaceful sounds of the night that bring joy and may inspire music
The sounds that really belong in music and someday I just might
The sounds heard at night that might inspire the creation of music
Meantime I just lie here smiling wide wake at dawn
After a peaceful night, the singer wakes up with a smile
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
The artist wonders where the difficult times of his past have disappeared to
Oh, I wonder where my bad old days have gone
The artist continues to ponder where his difficult past has gone
When I was lost with nothing to count on
The singer reflects on a time when he was lost and had no hope
The danger's in the telling I'm tempted to be bright
The singer acknowledges a temptation to gloss over the truth about his difficult past
When the truth is they were bad old days and didn't have to turn out right
Although the artist may be ashamed of his past, he admits that it was not a happy time
I love you more than morning and part of the reason why
The artist expresses deep affection for someone who has helped him move on from his past
Is you helped me kiss those bad old days goodbye
The person the artist loves helped him move past his difficult past and leave it behind
You're quiet in the morning, you like to wake up slow
The singer describes the morning habits of the person he loves
You need your coffee before you talk, I remember you tellin' me so
The artist recalls a conversation about the person he loves needing coffee before speaking in the morning
Was it sixteen years ago or was it yesterday
The singer reflects on how long ago the love of his life helped him through his difficult past
That you came and chased my bad old days away?
The singer attributes his ability to move on from his difficult past to the love of his life
Now I lie here smiling all night long
The singer is happy and content, able to smile throughout the night
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
The artist continues to be amazed that his past difficulties have seemingly disappeared
Now I lie here smiling all night long
The artist reiterates his happy state, able to sleep soundly with a smile on his face
And I wonder where my bad old days have gone
The singer repeats his amazement that his past has disappeared
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: TOM PAXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind