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.
Born On The Fourth Of July
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was gray and with caps it was loaded
In the dirt we would cry and dramatically die
As it flew to the air and exploded
As a young man my dream was to be a marine
My flag was worth all I could bring it
The country was young, when the anthem was sung
Well it gave me the goosebumps to sing it
I was born on the fourth of July
No one more loyal than I
When my country said so I was ready to go
And I wish I'd been left there to die
When I landed in 'Nam, I was Great Uncle Sam
I was fighting for God and my mother
And I knew what to do when my first tour was through
I signed up and went back for another
But it all tumbled down when we ambushed the town
In the night how the metal was flying
We blew it to hell, really did our job well
But just women and kids did the dying
I was born on the fourth of July
No one more loyal than I
When my country said so I was ready to go
And I wish I'd been left there to die
In the damn DMZ, it all ended for me
The fighting broke out and we scattered
One shot hit my heel, the last thing I feel
The next hit my spine and it shattered
In my hospital bed I could hear what was said
And the word will stay with me forever
With my whole life ahead, my body was dead
And the word they were using was never
I was born on the fourth of July
No one more loyal than I
When my country said so I was ready to go
And I wish I'd been left there to die
Now I wheel myself down to the crossroads of town
To watch the young girls and their lovers
And my mind is afire, it's alive with desire
Christ, I'd barely begun, now it's over
In my wheelchair for life, my mechanical wife
I'm supposed to be cheerful and stoic
I'm your old tried-and-true, Yankee Doodle to you
Clean-cut, paralysed and heroic
I was born on the fourth of July
No one more loyal than I
When my country said so I was ready to go
And I wish I'd been left there to die
The song "Born On The Fourth Of July" by Tom Paxton portrays the life of a patriotic man who was born on the day of American Independence, the fourth of July. As a boy, he played with a plastic grenade and enjoyed imitating war scenes. As an adult, his dream was to serve in the marines and protect his country. The lyrics depict the pride he feels for his country and his determination to serve it no matter what the cost.
However, his experience in fighting the Vietnam War shattered his beliefs. The fighting broke him down and he watched innocent people die. In the end, he was severely injured and paralyzed, living the rest of his life as a wheelchair-bound veteran. This portrays the harsh reality of war and the consequences faced by those who served for their country. The final lines express his hopelessness as he wishes he had died on the battlefield instead of living the life of an injured veteran.
Overall, the song "Born On The Fourth Of July" sends a powerful message about the realities of war and the heavy toll it can take on those who fought for their country.
Line by Line Meaning
As a schoolboy I played with a plastic grenade
As a child, I innocently played with a toy grenade made of plastic.
It was gray and with caps it was loaded
The toy grenade appeared realistic as it was made with a gray color and loaded with caps.
In the dirt we would cry and dramatically die
As children, we would act out in play the dying scenes and cry-out as if it were a wild adventure.
As it flew to the air and exploded
We would pretend that the toy grenade was thrown, and it exploded as we made imaginary war.
As a young man my dream was to be a marine
When I was young, I aspired to join the Marines and serve my country.
My flag was worth all I could bring it
My loyalty to my country was undying, and I believed that my flag represented all that was good about America.
The country was young, when the anthem was sung
The United States was a young nation when our national anthem was written.
Well it gave me the goosebumps to sing it
Singing the national anthem brought me great pride and gave me an intense emotional response.
I was born on the fourth of July
I was born on Independence Day, which is a major national holiday in the United States.
No one more loyal than I
I was extremely loyal to my country and patriotic to a fault.
When my country said so I was ready to go
I was willing and prepared to fight for my country and do whatever it took to defend it.
And I wish I'd been left there to die
I regret returning home alive and wish that I had died fighting for my country.
When I landed in 'Nam, I was Great Uncle Sam
When I arrived in Vietnam, I felt a sense of duty as a representative of the United States government.
I was fighting for God and my mother
I felt that I was fighting for my country's values of freedom and democracy, as well as those of my personal beliefs and family.
And I knew what to do when my first tour was through
After completing my first deployment, I was experienced and capable of fulfilling my duties as a soldier.
I signed up and went back for another
I re-enlisted and volunteered for a second deployment to continue serving my country.
But it all tumbled down when we ambushed the town
The realities of war were harshly apparent when we ambushed and attacked a town.
In the night how the metal was flying
The sounds of weapons clashing and bullets firing were deafening and chaotic.
We blew it to hell, really did our job well
Our mission was successful in that we accomplished our goals, but the cost of innocent lives was heavy.
But just women and kids did the dying
Unfortunately, those who suffered and lost their lives in the attack were innocent women and children.
In the damn DMZ, it all ended for me
My deployment in Vietnam ended with me stationed in a demilitarized zone (DMZ).
The fighting broke out and we scattered
Conflict erupted, and my unit became disorganized and disoriented.
One shot hit my heel, the last thing I feel
I was struck by gunfire in my heal, which was the last physical sensation that I experienced before being paralyzed.
The next hit my spine and it shattered
A second shot hit my spine and left me paralyzed indefinitely.
In my hospital bed I could hear what was said
I was conscious as my medical team attended to my wounds and discussed my condition.
And the word will stay with me forever
The medical term used to describe my paralysis will always be etched in my memory.
With my whole life ahead, my body was dead
Although I had my whole life ahead of me, my body was effectively lifeless from that moment on due to my paralysis.
And the word they were using was never
The medical term used to describe my paralysis was irreversible and final - I would never walk again.
Now I wheel myself down to the crossroads of town
As a disabled veteran, I spend my days in my wheelchair, observing the world around me.
To watch the young girls and their lovers
I find solace in observing the simple pleasures of life, such as young couples enjoying each other's company.
And my mind is afire, it's alive with desire
Although my body is paralyzed, my mind is still active and desires to live life to the fullest.
Christ, I'd barely begun, now it's over
I feel that my life was cut short, and I had so much more to experience before being paralyzed.
In my wheelchair for life, my mechanical wife
My wheelchair has become my companion and a constant reminder of my paralysis.
I'm supposed to be cheerful and stoic
As a veteran, there is pressure to remain calm and strong despite the hardships of war.
I'm your old tried-and-true, Yankee Doodle to you
Despite my physical limitations, I am still proud to be an American and represent my country.
Clean-cut, paralyzed and heroic
Despite my paralysis, I still possess the bravery and courage that defines a hero.
Contributed by Austin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.