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.
Fred
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poor old feller, he'd be better off dead,
Than to live his life with me;
Me being one old flea.
Fred used to scratch his back and side,
Poor old feller, I would run and hide,
I'd drink me a big old beer,
I know I sound like a mean old rat,
But I'm just a flea, you know I can't help that,
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Fred won shows, he was a big success,
So I was living at the best address,
Life was a pleasure for me;
He made me a high-class flea.
Fred won ribbons and loving cups-
He outclassed all of them other pups,
But as soon as we were back in the yard,
I'd nip that rascal hard.
I know I sound like a mean old rat,
But I'm just a flea, you know I can't help that,
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Well, Fred got older and he quit the shows-
Makes you wonder where the glory goes.
Now we lie in the noonday sun,
And think of the stuff we've won.
Fred gets sleepy when the sun gets hot,
So we take a little snooze until the day is shot,
And if I want to go in at night,
I give him a little bite.
I take it easy, 'cause he's old and fat,
But I'm still a flea, you know I can't help that.
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhh
The song "Fred" by Tom Paxton is a funny and ironic piece about a flea's life with his dog host, Fred. In the first stanza, the flea expresses his lack of worth and how Fred deserves better than living with a flea like him. However, the rest of the song highlights how the two are a perfect team, with the flea providing the itch and Fred providing the scratch. The second stanza talks about how Fred won shows and made them the best duo in their community. However, behind the scenes, the flea bites Fred to keep him in line, showing their strange balance of power.
The third stanza shows how Fred retired from the shows and how they now relax in the sun, reminiscing about their past achievements. The flea is now more careful with his bites, respecting Fred's old age. The chorus repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the musical sound of Fred scratching his back.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fred" are a lighthearted story of a flea's life with his dog friend, highlighting their strange, but necessary partnership.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a dog, and his name is Fred.
I own a dog whose name is Fred.
Poor old feller, he'd be better off dead,
Than to live his life with me;
Me being one old flea.
Fred, my dog would be better off if he was not with me as I am a flea and not a good owner.
Fred used to scratch his back and side,
Poor old feller, I would run and hide,
I'd drink me a big old beer,
And wait till the coast was clear.
Fred used to scratch his back and side; I, as a flea, would hide while he did so. I would drink while I waited until he resumed scratching.
I know I sound like a mean old rat,
But I'm just a flea, you know I can't help that,
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Although I may seem like a mean old rat, I am just a flea, and it's natural for me. Fred and I make a perfect team as I give him the itch and he replies by scratching.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
I nudge Fred to scratch himself, and as he does, it sounds like music- chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Fred won shows, he was a big success,
So I was living at the best address,
Life was a pleasure for me;
He made me a high-class flea.
Fred won competitions, and as a result, we lived in a luxurious place, and life was fancy for me as a flea.
Fred won ribbons and loving cups-
He outclassed all of them other pups,
But as soon as we were back in the yard,
I'd nip that rascal hard.
Fred won prizes and awards and outclassed other dogs, but as soon as we returned home, I would bite him.
I take it easy, 'cause he's old and fat,
But I'm still a flea, you know I can't help that.
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Since Fred is older and heavier now, I take it easy on him as I understand that I am still a flea. Nonetheless, we are still a good team since I cause the itch, and he responds with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhh
I still urge Fred to scratch himself, and it still sounds like music- chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Contributed by Parker J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mothy Smill
This was a staple song at home when I was a kid. Thanks for helping save it from obscurity.
eisemanrenyardjake
This song kicks ass and not enough of people (at least, not those I know) have ever heard of it