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.
Harper
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There I'll go at once and lay me down.
Build for me a bed of pine,
For I feel my time is a coming 'round.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Love of mine, love of mine.
No daughter of mine will suffer shame.
There I'll wait with you till Harper comes,
And his black and bloody life I'll take.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Love of mine, love of mine.
She lay down upon her bed of pain.
She was groanin' as her time drew nigh.
Father turn your face unto the wall,
For I see a murder in your eyes.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Now Harper he stepped up to the cabin door.
His horse he'd left in the woods nearby.
He stepped into the cabin carelessly,
And he heard a low and a deadly cry.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Oh you bloody awful man.
My daughter's pain is all because of you.
You would not take her for your wedded wife,
And now it's a terrible thing that I must do.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Love of mine, love of mine.
He fired his gun and Harper he fell down.
His blood fell on the dark and Earthen floor.
Lie there, lie there you faithless man,
You'll never break your vows no more.
Love of mine, love of mine.
Love of mine, love of mine.
The song "Harper" by Tom Paxton is a haunting story of a father's love for his daughter and his willingness to protect her at any cost. The father in the song builds his daughter a cabin by the lake and vows to protect her from any harm. He becomes fixated on a man named Harper who has caused his daughter pain and is determined to take his revenge. The father's love for his daughter becomes twisted into a desire for vengeance and he ultimately ends up killing Harper.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the father's inward struggle as he contemplates the dark deed he must commit. He knows that killing Harper is wrong, but his love for his daughter outweighs his sense of morality. Even as she is giving birth to a child, he is planning Harper's demise. The song's haunting melody and sparse instrumentation highlight the solemnity of the story, making for a powerful ballad.
Overall, "Harper" is a song that illustrates the lengths parents will go to protect their children, even if it means committing a terrible act. The song's themes of love, sacrifice, and vengeance make for a thought-provoking story that lingers in the mind long after it has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Father, Father build me a cabin fine.
The singer wants their father to build a nice cabin for them.
There I'll go at once and lay me down.
The singer will go to the cabin and rest.
Build for me a bed of pine,
The singer wants a bed made of pine in the cabin.
For I feel my time is a coming 'round.
The artist senses that their time is running out.
No daughter of mine will suffer shame.
The artist won't let their daughter be shamed.
I'll build your cabin by the lake.
The singer will build a cabin by the lake for their daughter.
There I'll wait with you till Harper comes,
The father will wait with his daughter until Harper arrives.
And his black and bloody life I'll take.
The father plans to kill Harper when he arrives.
She lay down upon her bed of pain.
The daughter is in pain and lying down on her bed.
She was groanin' as her time drew nigh.
The daughter was groaning as the time for her to give birth approached.
Father turn your face unto the wall,
The daughter wants her father to turn away.
For I see a murder in your eyes.
The daughter sees that her father intends to kill Harper.
Now Harper he stepped up to the cabin door.
Harper approached the cabin.
His horse he'd left in the woods nearby.
Harper left his horse in the woods near the cabin.
He stepped into the cabin carelessly,
Harper entered the cabin without caution.
And he heard a low and a deadly cry.
Harper heard a cry and realized it was the father who planned to kill him.
Oh you bloody awful man.
The daughter accuses Harper of being an awful man.
My daughter's pain is all because of you.
The daughter blames Harper for her pain.
You would not take her for your wedded wife,
Harper refused to marry the daughter.
And now it's a terrible thing that I must do.
The father feels it's necessary to kill Harper.
He fired his gun and Harper he fell down.
The father shot Harper and he fell to the floor.
His blood fell on the dark and Earthen floor.
Harper's blood spilled on the dark and dusty floor.
Lie there, lie there you faithless man,
The father mocks Harper for being unfaithful.
You'll never break your vows no more.
Harper won't have a chance to break any more vows.
Contributed by Eva C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.