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.
When Princes Meet
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The poor little men must tremble
In judgment seat
They speak of their wars
While great armies assemble
Their armor shines
To shame the sun
They move like gods
They do resemble
All bow their necks
To iron feet when princes meet
When castles rise
The poor little men must build them
To charm the skies
They throw up the turrets
Where the great lords will them
They dig the dungeons
From the earth
And their brothers
Wives and children fill them
All those below cast down
Their eyes when castles rise
God save the king
For he grants us leave to serve him
His praises sing
And grant that we may deserve him
Who counts the cost?
The cattle and men to be lost?
'Tis no small thing to serve a king
When kings make war
The poor little men must fight them
They must do more
They hold out their necks
For great lord's swords to bite them
The sons of the lords cleave
Through their ranks
In the hopes some warrior king
Might knight them
It's what the poor little men are for
When kings make war
Hide your cattle in the woods, Francois
The lord is looking your way
Hide your women and your goods, Francois
They're coming around to make you pay
Hide if you can, poor little man
Think of a prayer to say
Hide if you can, poor little man
Think of a prayer to say
God save the king
For he grants us leave to serve him
His praises sing
And grant that we may deserve him
Who counts the cost?
The cattle and men to be lost?
'Tis no small thing to serve a king
The song, "When Princes Meet" by Tom Paxton communicates the stark reality of the power dynamics between the ruling class and the oppressed lower class. The opening lines convey the idea that the meeting of princes in judgment generates fear in the common masses. The princes are portrayed as confident and godlike figures who, with their armies and shining armor, dominate the ordinary people. The phrase "their armor shines to shame the sun" is suggestive of how the rulers are blinding and overpowering with their might.
The second verse describes how the castles are built to reach the skies, while the masses are left to build them at the cost of their own lives. The people are forced to dig dungeons and are subsequently used to fill them. The rule of the kings is described as arbitrary, and even the lives of the common folk are disposable in the service of their leaders.
The third verse shows the common people's perspective towards the ruling class. They view the king as the savior who grants them leave to serve him. The phrase "who counts the cost?" suggests that the price paid by the common people in wars is often disregarded, and they are left to bear the loss of their cattle and men. The closing lines "Think of a prayer to say" are metaphorical, implying that the common people are powerless in the face of the King's demands and can only pray for mercy.
Line by Line Meaning
When princes meet
When powerful rulers come together
The poor little men must tremble
The common people are afraid and powerless in their presence
In judgment seat
During official and authoritative gatherings
They speak of their wars
The rulers talk about their battles and conquests
While great armies assemble
Their large military forces gather in preparation for war
Their armor shines
The knights' metal suits are polished and impressive
To shame the sun
Their armor reflects the brightness of the sun so strongly that it looks brighter
They move like gods
The royals exude a sense of divinity and majesty
They do resemble
Their similarities to gods are noticeable
All bow their necks
Everyone around them submits and shows respect
To iron feet when princes meet
The rulers' power is so great that even the ground they walk on seems to be made of metal
When castles rise
When large and impressive fortresses are built
The poor little men must build them
The common people have to do the work to construct the castles
To charm the skies
To impress everyone with their grandeur and height
They throw up the turrets
The workers build tall towers on top of the castles
Where the great lords will them
The nobles dictate where the towers should be placed
They dig the dungeons
The poor people create the underground prisons
From the earth
The dungeons are located beneath the castles
And their brothers
The workers' siblings
Wives and children fill them
The prisoners of the dungeons are often innocent family members of the commoners
All those below cast down
The people underneath the castle feel helpless and defeated
Their eyes when castles rise
They are overwhelmed and intimidated when they see the castles looming overhead
God save the king
A plea for the safety and security of the royal leader
For he grants us leave to serve him
Because he allows the commoners to be subservient to him
His praises sing
To express admiration and loyalty for the king
And grant that we may deserve him
To ask for the chance to prove their devotion and worthiness to the king
Who counts the cost?
Who is responsible for paying the expenses of war?
The cattle and men to be lost?
The soldiers and livestock that will be killed or injured
'Tis no small thing to serve a king
Being a servant or soldier to a king is a huge undertaking
When kings make war
When rulers enter into conflicts with each other
The poor little men must fight them
The common people are forced to be soldiers and fight in the war
They must do more
Not only do they have to fight, but they have to endure other hardships as well
They hold out their necks
The commoners willingly present themselves to their deaths
For great lord's swords to bite them
The nobles inflict fatal wounds upon the commoners
The sons of the lords cleave
The offspring of the nobility chop through the commoners
Through their ranks
Through the lines of the soldiers fighting on the frontlines
In the hopes some warrior king
Perhaps a victorious king will recognize the heroism of a commoner
Might knight them
And reward them with a knighthood
Hide your cattle in the woods, Francois
A warning to a fellow commoner to protect his livestock from being taken
The lord is looking your way
The nobleman has set his sights on Francois' possessions
Hide your women and your goods, Francois
A plea to hide his loved ones and valuable items as well
They're coming around to make you pay
The nobility is planning to extract money or goods from Francois by force
Hide if you can, poor little man
To urge Francois to flee and hide if possible
Think of a prayer to say
A reminder to call upon a higher power for help and guidance in desperate situations
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS R PAXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mack Ray Keaton
I simply can't get over his simple rhythm and melodic structures that create a sound that cannot be imitated. I work so hard to create something complex and unique and Tom Paxton can create something more memorable and simple that would take me a lifetime to accomplish. Hats off to this genius.
Jeff Stevens
What an amazing, and powerful track. Tom and a few others played the soundtrack to my life as I was growing into a young man all those years ago, and listening to this again after so many years has brought tears to my eyes. It's a perfect marriage of music, lyrics and images. Beautifully put together. Thank you.
jingles454545
my dad loved this song. he has passed it onto a younger generation and i really do love it..
Aidan Clarke
great to hear this song again after quite a few years. you have put together a tremndous series of images to illustrate it. I think this is absolutely excellent.
fishmangrove
What a great song from a great album back in the 70's ! I still have this vinyl record and keep it along with a few precious things of my early high school days. And still listening with great pleasure and nostalgia Many thanks to Tom for his great music and many thanks for posting !
DanPat121
One of Tom's best songs.
Hans Hartel
I love this song since 45 years!
Inga-Lill Kock
Hans Hartel n
scootmandu
A brilliant song and one of the favorite songs from my youth,. I just shared it on my Facebook page. Thank you!!
freackykit
First time I have heard this...Brilliant, thanks for sharing. Loved the picture editing too