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.
I Give You the Morning
Tom Paxton Lyrics
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Through the frosted window pane the sun grows bolder
Your hair flows down your pillow, you're still sleeping.
I think I'll wake you now and hold you
Tell you again the things I told you
Behold I give you the morning hm,
I give you the day
Through the waving curtain wall the sun is streaming
Far behind your flickering eyelids you're still dreaming
You're dreaming of the good times and you're smiling
I think I'll wake you now and hold you
Tell you again the things I told you
Behold I give you the morning hm,
I give you the day
Close beneath our window still the Earth is humming
Like an eager Christmas child the day is coming
Listen to the morning song it's singing.
I think I'll wake you now and hold you
Tell you again the things I told you
Behold I give you the morning hm,
I give you the day
Like an antique ballroom fan your eyelids flutter
Sunlight streams across your eyes through open shutter
Now I think you're ready for the journey.
I think I'll wake you now and hold you
Tell you again the things I told you
Behold I give you the morning hm,
I give you the day
In "I Give You the Morning," Tom Paxton sings about waking his lover up in the morning and giving her the gift of a new day. The lyrics describe the beauty of the dawn and the tranquility of a lover waking up beside her partner. The morning light that streams through the window and touches her face is a symbol of a new beginning and a fresh start. The verses describe the feeling of waking up next to someone you love, the optimism that comes with a new day, and the desire to start the day together.
Tom Paxton's lyrics in this song use vivid metaphors and imagery to paint a picture of a morning that is full of promise and hope. The frosted window pane and the waving curtain wall create a dreamlike quality to the morning, while the humming Earth and good times that make his lover smile suggest the day ahead will be filled with joy and happiness. In this way, the lyrics of "I Give You the Morning" celebrate the beauty of life and the power of new beginnings.
Overall, "I Give You the Morning" is a hopeful and optimistic song that speaks to the power of love and the beauty of new beginnings.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever again the morning creeps across your shoulder
Morning comes again and you wake up with it.
Through the frosted window pane the sun grows bolder
The sun shines through the window and grows brighter as the morning progresses.
Your hair flows down your pillow, you're still sleeping.
You are still sleeping, with your hair flowing down the pillow.
I think I'll wake you now and hold you
The artist decides to wake the listener and hold them.
Tell you again the things I told you
The artist will reiterate the things they have said in the past.
Behold I give you the morning hm,
The singer presents the morning to the listener as a gift.
I give you the day
The singer gives the listener the whole day as a gift.
Through the waving curtain wall the sun is streaming
The sun streams through the waving curtains.
Far behind your flickering eyelids you're still dreaming
You are still dreaming behind your flickering eyelids.
You're dreaming of the good times and you're smiling
You are dreaming of your happy memories and smiling.
Close beneath our window still the Earth is humming
The Earth is still active and humming near the singer's window.
Like an eager Christmas child the day is coming
The day is coming like an excited child on Christmas morning.
Listen to the morning song it's singing.
Listen to the song of the morning that it is singing.
Like an antique ballroom fan your eyelids flutter
Your eyelids flutter like an old ballroom fan.
Sunlight streams across your eyes through open shutter
Sunlight streams across your eyes through an open window.
Now I think you're ready for the journey.
The listener is now ready for the day ahead.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS R PAXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind