Tom Paxton is an extraordinarily prolific songwriter. His songs include topical and protest songs, love songs and children's songs. For detailed information check out Wikipedia Information about Tom Paxton.

Buy a Gun For Your Son

Tom Paxton wrote this anti-war song in 1965 during the Vietnam war era. There is a very strong message about giving children guns to play with to prepare them for war. Pete Seeger invited Paxton to sing it on his television show, "Rainbow Quest".

This song reminds me of another song I sing, by Australian singer-songwriter, Glen Tomasetti called "The Army's Appeal to Mothers."

Tom Paxton performing Buy A Gun For Your Son on Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest in 1965.

Here is my rendition and here are the lyrics.

Daily News

This topical satirical ditty is not one of Paxton's best-known creations, and is obviously the kind of song that gets quickly outdated, though the underlying message is as true today as it ever was. It would be easy to change the lyrics to fit more recent events, and the one version I could find on YouTube, a rendition by Ali Marcus, does just that.

The version I sing here is the original lyrics, which, if nothing else, are of historical interest.

Going to the Zoo

One of Paxton's best known children's songs.

You can see me singing it to my grandson, Axel. And here are the lyrics.

The High Sheriff of Hazard

Tom Paxton wrote the following about this song (from Sing Out!, Vol. 14, No. 5, Nov 1964, p. 30):

Over the Easter weekend, my wife Midge and I, along with Phil Ochs, Carolyn Hester, Alix Dobkin, Eric Anderson [sic], Danny Kalb, and some others, got down to Hazard, Kentucky, to meet some of the miners who have been on strike and starving for over a year. If a man wants to scab, he can put in a twelve-hour-day in an unsafe mine ("dog holes," they call them) for anywhere from three to eight dollars a day. Things are rigged so if he won't scab, it's seen that he's unable to get food stamps for the government rations. This "high sheriff" runs the county the way he likes. As the song says, he's part-owner of a mine himself, so the miners have learned not to expect too much from him -- except trouble.

For the melody he used the traditional tune of The Limerick Rake. Here is my rendition of the song and here are the lyrics.

I Believe, I Do

People these days are just too cynical. Maybe we should all take Tom Paxton's advice and put a bit more trust in our leaders.

You can watch my video of the song. The lyrics are here.

The Last Thing On My Mind

One of Tom Paxton's most beautiful songs. He first recorded it in 1964. It has since been covered by countless performers, including Judy Collins, The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Harry Belafonte, Phil Everly, Johnny Cash, John Denver, Marianne Faithfull, The Seekers, Sandy Denny, Hank Snow, Doc Watson, Nana Mouskouri, Joan Baez, Neil Diamond, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Carolyn Hester, Chris de Burgh and Dolly Parton.

So there's no real reason for me to be covering it as well - except that it's a song I've always loved.

Here is Tom Paxton singing it live in England in 1966.

The lyrics are here.

The Marvelous Toy

Though Tom Paxton was especially noted for satirical songs of social comment, he could also write delightful children's songs such as this one. It was popularised especially by Peter, Paul and Mary.

My performance here is dedicated to my second grandson, Axel. The lyrics are here.

My Ramblin' Boy

Tom Paxton sings My Ramblin' Boy with Pete Seeger. .

Here is my rendition of the song. The lyrics are here.

What Did You Learn in School Today?

Here is Pete Seeger singing this classic Paxton song, and here is me doing it. The lyrics are here.