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.
Whose Garden Was His
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It must have been lovely.
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers,
And I'd love to have smelled one !
Whose river was this?
You say it ran freely?
I've seen blue in some pictures
And I'd love to have been there!
Ah, tell me again I need to know
The forest had trees
The meadows were green
The oceans were blue
And birds really flew
Can you swear that was true
Whose gray sky was this?
Or was it a blue one?
Nights there were breezes?
I've heard records of breezes,
And you tell me you felt one.
Ah, tell me again I need to know
The forest had trees
The meadows were green
The oceans were blue
And birds really flew
Can you swear that was true
Tom Paxton's song "Whose Garden Was This" expresses a longing for a world that may have existed but has been lost to time, or perhaps never existed at all. The repeated phrase "Whose ______ was this?" creates a sense of loss and longing for something that the singer has never experienced himself. The first verse asks about a garden that must have been lovely, and the singer laments that he has only seen pictures of flowers and never smelled one in person. The second verse asks about a river that ran freely and was blue, and the singer wishes he could have experienced it firsthand. The third verse asks about the sky, and whether it was gray or blue, and whether there were breezes at night. The chorus asks for confirmation that the world described was real, with forests, meadows, oceans, and birds that really flew.
The song is written from the perspective of someone who feels disconnected from nature and longs to experience it in a more direct way. The repetition of the questions suggests a yearning for something that is just out of reach. The lyric "Can you swear that was true" indicates a desire for confirmation that the world described in the song really existed, or could exist.
The song has been interpreted in a number of different ways, with some seeing it as a nostalgic look back at a lost world and others viewing it as a call to action to preserve the natural world. Regardless of interpretation, the song's themes of loss and longing resonate with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Whose garden was this?
Whose garden did this beautiful land belong to?
It must have been lovely.
It must have been a sight to behold.
Did it have flowers?
Were there flowers growing in this garden?
I've seen pictures of flowers, And I'd love to have smelled one !
I've seen photographs of flowers, and I wish I could experience its fragrance in person.
Whose river was this?
Who did this river belong to?
You say it ran freely?
You mentioned that it flowed without any interruption, correct?
Blue was its color?
Did it have a blue tint to it?
I've seen blue in some pictures And I'd love to have been there!
I've viewed photographs that depicted a blue river, and I wish I could have visited the location.
Ah, tell me again I need to know The forest had trees The meadows were green The oceans were blue And birds really flew Can you swear that was true
Oh, please confirm one more time that the forest was filled with trees, the meadows were lush and green, the oceans were a clear blue, and that birds flew through the sky. Can you verify that this was all accurate?
Whose gray sky was this?
Who owned the gray sky that was present in this place?
Or was it a blue one?
Was the sky colored blue instead?
Nights there were breezes?
Were there gentle winds during the nighttime in this location?
I've heard records of breezes, And you tell me you felt one.
I've listened to recordings of the sound of wind, and you're informing me that you were fortunate enough to have experienced it in real life.
Ah, tell me again I need to know The forest had trees The meadows were green The oceans were blue And birds really flew Can you swear that was true
Please reiterate for me whether or not the forest had trees, the meadows flourished in greenery, the ocean's water was a pristine blue, and if birds really flew above. Can you guarantee that what you're saying is factual?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS R PAXTON, TOM PAXTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bruce Levitan
Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers
And I'd love to have smelled one
Whose river was this?
You say it ran freely
Blue was its color,
I've seen blue in some pictures
And you tell me you've been there .
Ah, tell me again, I need to know
The forests had trees,
The meadows were green
The oceans were blue
And birds really flew
Can you swear that was true?
Whose gray sky was this?
Or was it a blue one?
Nights there were breezes,
I've heard records of breezes
And you tell me you've felt one
Ah, tell me again, I need to know
The forests had trees,
The meadows were green
The oceans were blue
And birds really flew
Can you swear that was true?
Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers
And I'd love to have smelled one .
Boot Leg
If you like Tom Paxton's music, please consider joining the Tom Paxton Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/TomPaxtonMusic.
ELMASLAD
Love to Tom Paxton for this 'for all time' song which I first heard c 1971 and have adored ever since. John Denver does a nice dramatic cover of this on his album titled after the song.
Raven An Dubh
I learned this in sixth grade-teacher said we should remember this message-
Not a fly over granny
How wonderful your teacher taught this song. Wish all had taught it. Haven't read the words in years it makes me cry can't believe it is turning true.
Tim Mitchell
This song is so relevant today with #forest404 on the BBC - Have we acheived anything since the first Earth Day in 1970?
Not a fly over granny
So sorry we have not. Guess the corporations have ruled
Bruce Levitan
Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers
And I'd love to have smelled one
Whose river was this?
You say it ran freely
Blue was its color,
I've seen blue in some pictures
And you tell me you've been there .
Ah, tell me again, I need to know
The forests had trees,
The meadows were green
The oceans were blue
And birds really flew
Can you swear that was true?
Whose gray sky was this?
Or was it a blue one?
Nights there were breezes,
I've heard records of breezes
And you tell me you've felt one
Ah, tell me again, I need to know
The forests had trees,
The meadows were green
The oceans were blue
And birds really flew
Can you swear that was true?
Whose garden was this?
It must have been lovely
Did it have flowers?
I've seen pictures of flowers
And I'd love to have smelled one .
spy4863
Golly! Up until today I had no idea that Tom Paxton wrote this touching song! Now I can say I know at least 3 Tom Paxton songs! For years I’ve been singing and playing it in my banjo for the disabled kids I do music with but I never thought about who wrote it! I’ve heard a number of famous people sing the song and all of them are very touching but I love John Denver’s recording the best.
Melanie Clark
Can't stand John Denver. I was force-fed him as a child.
Linda Gimbert
I always think of the Hampton Roads area of VA when I hear this. because that's the way it is right now. I remember when there was countryside there and now it's gone.