Tom Paxton's blog

Tom Paxton was one of the early aspiring folk performers to move to New York in 1960, ahead of Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs and the rest of the pack.

Four years later, he recorded, Ramblin' Boy, getting his break on Elektra. The album is astonishingly diverse and accomplished, and it defined Paxton's entire career in its rich mix of romanticism, topical material and children's songs. Ramblin' Boy includes many of his best and most enduring work including 'Going To The Zoo,' 'I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound,' and, his most often covered, 'The Last Thing On My Mind.'

Paxton's avuncular presence and early maturity as a songwriter often results in his being overlooked, compared to his more angry contemporaries, notably Phil Ochs and the early Bob Dylan, but Paxton's strength was always his subtlety and sense of melody. Is there a more effective protest song than the jaunty 'Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation' (from his second Elektra album, Ain't That News?).

Paxton remained with Elektra for seven albums, the last in 1971. To this day, he maintains the same level of humanity and gentle, perceptive craftsmanship.