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.
You Can Eat Dog Food
Tom Paxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sayin' you can't afford your grub
Sayin' a dollar ain't a dollar no more
Well tell me buddy, what's new?
You can't afford to buy bread no more
Well, this ain't a charity store
You say your kids are hungry too
Well, we've good news for you
You can eat dog food
You really ought to try it
You can fricassee it
You can deep fry it
Flip it on over
Cook it any way
Eat along with rover
Three times a day
It comes in a bag or a can
Just the meal for a workin' man
If you're down on your luck just now
It'll get you through the day
If you eat in the afternoon
You're gonna feel like bayin' at the moon
But you're complainin' too soon
This is all I gotta say
You can eat dog food
You really ought to try it
You can fricassee it
You can deep fry it
Flip it on over
Cook it any way
Eat along with rover
Three times a day
Find yourself a little vacant lot
Clean the garbage from a little spot
Build a fire, let the coals get hot
Ask the neighbors in
You can open up a can or two
Make patties like the swell folks do
Have yourself a little barbecue
And let the fun begin
You can eat dog food
You really ought to try it
You can fricassee it
You can deep fry it
Flip it on over
Cook it any way
Eat along with rover
Three times a day
Tom Paxton's "You Can Eat Dog Food" is a satirical commentary on poverty and food insecurity in America. In the song, Paxton portrays a character who is too poor to afford regular groceries and is forced to consider dog food as a viable food option. The singer of the song is frustrated with the high cost of living and the inflation of the dollar, but Paxton encourages him to embrace dog food as a tasty and practical solution.
The song's chorus delivers a darkly comic message, encouraging the listener to cook and eat dog food in any way they please. The chorus suggests that dog food is not just a last resort, but a viable culinary option that can be enjoyed alongside one's pet. The verse about having a barbecue with neighbors and serving up dog food patties is particularly poignant, highlighting the ways in which poverty can lead to social isolation and a lack of access to more nutritious foods.
Despite the macabre nature of the lyrics, the song is ultimately compassionate in its portrayal of a desperate situation. Paxton's use of humor to address serious issues is reminiscent of the great folk music tradition of protest songs, and "You Can Eat Dog Food" remains a powerful example of this genre today.
Line by Line Meaning
Quit your bellyachin', bub
Stop complaining, buddy.
Sayin' you can't afford your grub
You are claiming that you cannot afford your meal.
Sayin' a dollar ain't a dollar no more
You think that the value of a dollar is decreasing.
Well tell me buddy, what's new?
So, what else is new?
You can't afford to buy bread no more
You cannot even afford bread.
Well, this ain't a charity store
This isn't a beggar's house.
You say your kids are hungry too
You claim that your children are also starving.
Well, we've good news for you
We've got great news for you.
You can eat dog food
You can consume dog food instead.
You really ought to try it
You should give it a shot.
You can fricassee it
You can cook it in a sauce of butter and cream.
You can deep fry it
You can prepare it by deep frying in oil.
Flip it on over
Turn it upside down.
Cook it any way
Prepare it in any way you want.
Eat along with rover
Eat it along with your dog.
Three times a day
Have it thrice in a day.
It comes in a bag or a can
The food is available in both bag and can.
Just the meal for a workin' man
This food is perfect for a working man.
If you're down on your luck just now
If you are currently unlucky.
It'll get you through the day
It will help you survive the whole day.
If you eat in the afternoon
If you have it in the afternoon.
You're gonna feel like bayin' at the moon
You will feel like howling at the moon.
But you're complainin' too soon
But you're whining too quickly.
This is all I gotta say
That's all I have to say.
Find yourself a little vacant lot
Find a small, empty plot of land.
Clean the garbage from a little spot
Clean a small area by removing the litter.
Build a fire, let the coals get hot
Start a fire and let the coals become red hot.
Ask the neighbors in
Invite your neighbours.
You can open up a can or two
You can open a few cans.
Make patties like the swell folks do
Make the same patties as those fancy people do.
Have yourself a little barbecue
Have a small barbecue party.
And let the fun begin
Now let's start to have some fun.
Contributed by Jacob M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.