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.
Out On The Ocean
Tom Paxton Lyrics
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I've got splashes of salty foam coming over the rail
I'm breathing easy ocean air, I'm sailing who the hell knows where
I'm in pure motion out on the ocean
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
No where I need to go, no one I need to be
Wind in my main sail is singing to me
Tomorrow sun will find me here out on the sea
And best of all I'll know that you are here with me
I've had my fill of loneliness, I asked you too and you said yes
Joy's my emotion out on the ocean
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
No where I need to go, no one I need to be
Wind in my main sail is singing to me
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
When we return the things we've learned will come back too
And all of life that's left to live I'll live with you
And if the winds of life turn into gales
That's when we will both shake out our sails and we'll be
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
No where I need to go, no one I need to be
Wind in my main sail is singing to me
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
Tom Paxton's "Out On The Ocean" talks about the freedom of being out at sea with no set destination or purpose. The singer explains leaving the harbor at the break of day with the salty foam splashing over the rail and the ocean breeze providing fresh, clean air. As he sails, he feels liberated with nothing to worry about and no one to please. He marvels at the wind in his main sail as it sings to him, appreciating the joy that comes from being out in the vast, open ocean.
In the second verse, the singer expresses that he will remain out on the sea, happy and content, and he knows that his loved one's thoughts will be with him. He confesses that he has had his fill of loneliness, and he asked his partner to come with him on this adventure, to which they agreed. The singer rejoices that he can enjoy this experience with someone else and that they share the same sentiment of being out at sea with nothing to do but enjoy the journey.
The final verse speaks of returning home, bringing back the lessons learned while being out at sea. He acknowledges that he will live the rest of his life with his partner and face whatever challenges come their way, even if they turn into gales, they will weather the storm and remain out on the ocean, sailing through life. The song celebrates the beauty of living life without constraints and discovering that joy can be found in the simplest things.
Line by Line Meaning
I left the harbor at break of day, shook out my sail
I set out early in the morning and unfurled my sail
I've got splashes of salty foam coming over the rail
I am experiencing the salty spray of the ocean as it washes over the rail
I'm breathing easy ocean air, I'm sailing who the hell knows where
I am inhaling the refreshing sea breeze as I embark on a journey to an unknown destination
I'm in pure motion out on the ocean
I am experiencing pure motion and freedom as I sail on the ocean
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
I am sailing on the vast and endless ocean
No where I need to go, no one I need to be
I have nowhere to be, and no expectations or responsibilities to fulfill
Wind in my main sail is singing to me
I am being serenaded by the sound of the wind in my main sail
Tomorrow sun will find me here out on the sea
Tomorrow the sun will rise and find me still sailing on the sea
And best of all I'll know that you are here with me
I am comforted by the knowledge that I am sailing with a loved one
I've had my fill of loneliness, I asked you too and you said yes
I have had enough of feeling lonely, and asked someone to join me on this adventure, and they agreed
Joy's my emotion out on the ocean
My predominant emotion while sailing on the ocean is one of joy
When we return the things we've learned will come back too
When we return from this journey, we will bring back the lessons we have learned
And all of life that's left to live I'll live with you
I plan on living the rest of my life with my companion after this journey is over
And if the winds of life turn into gales
If life gets rough and challenging,
That's when we will both shake out our sails and we'll be
we will be ready to navigate through those challenges together, just like sailors would adjust their sails during strong winds
Out on the ocean, out on the sea
Regardless of the challenges ahead, we will always have the memories of our time out on the ocean
Contributed by Savannah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.