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.
Clarissa Jones
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He ran to the corner and stood there grinning like he owned the god damn' room.
Clarissa Jones threw an iron at the rat and the rat just seemed to say, "Fine."
He twitched his tail in the corner and said, "You've got to go to sleep sometime."
Clarissa Jones's kid aged 16 hated his heavy old shoes.
He wanted fine strides like the studs on the street, and they'd know he'd been paying his dues.
Clarissa Jones's kid got busted, she was three days gettin' the news.
(CHO:)
Clarissa Jones where are you going,
It's cold and the wind is blowing through your bones.
And where, where, where is your man, Clarissa Jones?
Clarissa Jones carried bedpans, swept up, changed sheets and mopped the halls.
The doctors said she was a very good worker, Clarissa Jones knew them all.
Now Clarissa Jones sits in her window with her paper reading how they burned the next street flat.
She's reading about the trouble. She ought to write a letter saying "Hey, it never happened like that."
(CHO:)
Clarissa Jones where are you going,
It's cold and the wind is blowing through your bones.
And where, where, where is your man, Clarissa Jones?
Mr. William Hawkins rose early, shaved, dressed carefully and drank his tea.
He hit the desk at nine thanks to the Board of Opportunity.
On his very first day this boss went to great lengths to make him feel at home,
And his first assignment was a disposses on Miss Clarissa Jones.
(CHO:)
Clarissa Jones where are you going,
It's cold and the wind is blowing through your bones
And where, where, where is your man, Clarissa Jones?
Ah where, where, where is your man, Clarissa Jones?
The song "Clarissa Jones" by Tom Paxton is a story of a working-class woman who faces various challenges in her life. The first two verses speak of Clarissa's encounter with a rat, which she tries to shoo away with a broom. When that doesn't work, she throws an iron at the rat, but the rat seems unbothered by it, almost as if it is aware that Clarissa will tire before it does. These lyrics give us an image of a woman who is resolute and tough--someone who wouldn't hesitate to stand up to even an intrusive rat. In the next verse, we hear of Clarissa's son being arrested and given two pairs of heavy shoes as a symbol of punishment. Clarissa's character is further revealed as someone who has raised a son who is not afraid to stand up to authority, even if it lands him in prison.
In the last two verses, we see Clarissa working as a cleaner in a hospital where she is appreciated for her work ethic. However, she is subjected to an eviction by Mr. Hawkins, who is trying to gentrify the neighbourhood. The final verse shows Clarissa reading about the troubles in the city, and feeling the urge to write a letter to correct the media's one-sided version of the story. The repetition of the question, "Where is your man, Clarissa Jones?" at the end of each stanza may be interpreted as a statement of the prevailing patriarchal structure of society--one where women's worth is often measured by the men in their lives, and not by their own merits.
Line by Line Meaning
Clarissa Jones got bit on the heel by a rat and she hit it with a broom.
Clarissa Jones defended herself from a rat by hitting it using a broom after it bit her heel.
He ran to the corner and stood there grinning like he owned the god damn' room.
The rat ran to the corner and appeared proud of owning the space, with a grin on its face.
Clarissa Jones threw an iron at the rat and the rat just seemed to say, "Fine."
Clarissa Jones threw an iron at the rat but it wasn't bothered and instead responded with 'fine.'
He twitched his tail in the corner and said, "You've got to go to sleep sometime."
The rat stayed in the corner and confidently told Clarissa that she will eventually need to rest.
Clarissa Jones's kid aged 16 hated his heavy old shoes.
Clarissa's 16-year-old son disliked his bulky shoes and wanted fancy shoes that would signify his hard work.
He wanted fine strides like the studs on the street, and they'd know he'd been paying his dues.
He desired stylish shoes similar to those worn by successful men in the street as a way to showcase his efforts.
Clarissa Jones's kid got busted, she was three days gettin' the news.
Clarissa Jones received the news of her son's arrest three days after his apprehension.
They gave him a meal, a shower and a uniform, and two old heavy shoes.
Upon arrest, her son was fed and given a uniform, along with two bulky shoes.
Clarissa Jones where are you going, It's cold and the wind is blowing through your bones. And where, where, where is your man, Clarissa Jones?
A repetitive lyric, questioning Clarissa's whereabouts, with a bleak sense of cold and loneliness.
Clarissa Jones carried bedpans, swept up, changed sheets and mopped the halls.
Clarissa worked in a hospital where her duties included changing bedpans, cleaning, and washing bedsheets.
The doctors said she was a very good worker, Clarissa Jones knew them all.
Doctors praised Clarissa's work ethic, and she had a good relationship with them.
Now Clarissa Jones sits in her window with her paper reading how they burned the next street flat.
Clarissa reads the news of a burned down neighboring building from her window.
She's reading about the trouble. She ought to write a letter saying "Hey, it never happened like that."
She disagrees with what is covered in the news and thinks of writing a letter to a newspaper, protesting the inaccuracy of their report.
Mr. William Hawkins rose early, shaved, dressed carefully and drank his tea.
William Hawkins started his day with a morning ritual of getting up early, taking care of his physical appearance, and drinking tea.
He hit the desk at nine thanks to the Board of Opportunity.
Hawkins went to work and arrived at his desk promptly by 9 am, with the help of the Board of Opportunity.
On his very first day this boss went to great lengths to make him feel at home, And his first assignment was a disposses on Miss Clarissa Jones.
On his first day, his boss made an effort to make him feel welcome, giving him the unpleasant task of dispossessing Clarissa Jones.
Ah where, where, where is your man, Clarissa Jones?
Repeating lyrical questioning of Clarissa's whereabouts, with a hint of sadness over her lack of a significant other.
Contributed by Owen W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.