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.
The Last Thing On My Mind
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made of sand, made of sand
In the wink of an eye my soul is turnin'
In your hand, in your hand
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
You've got reason a plenty for goin'
This I know, this I know
For the weeds have been steadily growin'
Please don't go, please don't go
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind
As I lie in my bed in the mornin'
Without you, without you.
Every song in my breast lies a bornin'
Without you, without you.
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind
That was the last thing on my mind
Tom Paxton's song The Last Thing On My Mind is a ballad about a lover reflecting on their past relationship. The song is about the essence of regret and the sorrow that lingers when one has lost someone they love. The phrase "made of sand, made of sand" is a metaphor for how fragile relationships are and how easily they can slip away. The singer knows they have done wrong by their ex-lover and regrets not having treated them better. The lyrics overflows with the feelings of remorse and the longing of wanting to do things differently.
Paxton's song expresses the pain people often feel when they fail in love. The song has become a classic and has been covered by various artists. The song's popularity extends beyond its time, and its lyrics' timeless quality continue to resonate with listeners today. The song teaches us that relationships are fragile, and when love is lost, it can be painful and leave lasting regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a lesson too late for the learning
I realize now that what I did wrong can't be fixed.
Made of sand, made of sand
The relationship was fragile and easily broken.
In the wink of an eye my soul is turnin'
I am devastated and my emotions are changing quickly.
In your hand, in your hand
My heart was in your hands and now it's broken.
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Are you leaving me without saying goodbye?
Will there be not a trace left behind
Will there be nothing to remember our love by?
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
I wish I treated you better and didn't mean to hurt you.
You know that was the last thing on my mind
I never intended to hurt you and I regret it deeply.
You've got reason a plenty for goin'
I understand why you want to leave.
This I know, this I know
I am aware of the issues in our relationship.
For the weeds have been steadily growin'
Our problems have been getting worse over time.
Please don't go, please don't go
I am begging you to stay and work things out.
As I lie in my bed in the mornin'
I wake up alone and sad.
Without you, without you.
I miss you and can't imagine life without you.
Every song in my breast lies a bornin'
Every feeling I have is expressed in the music I create.
That was the last thing on my mind
Losing you was the last thing I wanted to happen.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tom Paxton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Chndnds
Lyrics :
It's a lesson too late for the learning
Made of sand, made of sand
In the wink of an eye my soul is turnin'
In your hand, in your hand
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind
You've got reason a plenty for goin'
This I know, this I know
For the weeds have been steadily growin'
Please don't go, please don't go
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind
As I lie in my bed in the mornin'
Without you, without you.
Every song in my breast lies a bornin'
Without you, without you.
Are you going away with no word of farewell
Will there be not a trace left behind
Well, I could've loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind
That was the last thing on my mind
@hermanbotha1444
I am a 75yo man from South Africa. When Tom did this song I was a youngster. I now still marvel at this man, this recording, this video. Good visual quality, no frills, no effort at artificial enhancements of any aspect of the song, the performance, the stage setting. Recording quality beyond belief for those days and even now 50 and more years later. Simple. A man with an excellent baritone voice presenting a beautiful song recorded and videographed to the highest standard.
This man was under-rated. The singer, the song, the recording, the presentation all simply exquisite.
It remains to this day a fantastic work of art. A few minutes encapsulating the deepest emotion of someone who lost love and blames only himself.
A perfect gem of the music industry then and to this day. Blessed be the memory of Tom Paxton. I so hope relatives of Tom will read this. I feel the need to express my deep appreciation to someone who might really care.
@nickbeier6265
He’s still alive by the way
@thomasfisher5742
i am a 74yr man from Australia HERMAN and i echo your sentiments...stay well
@tonydevine4244
The world's most under-celebrated great singer-songwriter. Love him.
@judythompson8227
When I find one of his of his songs I just have stop and listen. He just touches something deep inside. "I'm not crying, you're crying".
@blackbaron0
This is You Tube at its best. A chance for me to hear a great song like this I probably never would have.
@1875michael
I'm really impressed with the audio quality of this upload. The warmth in his voice comes shining through so very clear. I mean no noise, no distortion, no muddiness, just perfect clear audio from something done in 1966. I am just amazed.
@zkafel
I was immediately impressed when it started...I was going to mention the same thing. Great quality!
@olrappaport7474
BBC - gold standard recording quality
@scotsw
@@olrappaport7474 Yes, when they didn't record over their own priceless programming...