Tom Paxton

[fox69]

"The Hostage"

"The Hostage"


I'm a guard in the great iron prison, at least I was 'till now.
It was never a picnic social, never a date.
They never come in laughing and you know they never taught them how
It was damn hard work, and you wouldn't believe the pay.

It was early in the morning, Lord, I wasn't but a half awake,
When the Cons went nuts, and took us by surprise.
I never was one for shaking, but I found it hard to stand,
With a six-inch blade held right between my eyes.

We could hear a siren blowing, somebody yelled in pain.
Then it got so quiet, you could hear a bird walk by.
They all had masks on their faces, and they spoke with a voice of Cain
"If they come in shooting, then you know you're bound to die.
If they come in shooting, then you know you're bound to die."

I turned to a buddy named Willie, I said "Willie It'll be all right,
If they meant to kill us we'd be half way down to Hell.
See, they high-jacked a plane in the dessert, and the government screamed and cries,
But to save some lives, they opened up a prison cell".

So the days kept coming and going, tension was getting high.
But I wasn't too worried, I figured I knew the score.
I knew they were talking to someone, I knew they were willing to try.
So I figured my freedom was a matter of a day or two more.

But, Jesus, early this morning, the whirlybird dropped the gas,
It made me puke and it brought me to my knees.
The bullets came like hail-stones, I heard the first ones pass,
Then they cut down Willie, and they got Jim Kelly and me.
They cut down Willie, and they got Jim Kelly and me.

They come in yelling curses, like they were caught in the River Rhine
Shot down every God damned thing they saw.
And while I lay they wounded, I took another one in my spine,
Poor Jim Kelly took another one in his jaw.
Oh, Poor Jim Kelly took another one in his jaw.

They say we had our throats cut, by a band of desperate men,
Say they saved as many of us as they could.
Well the governor he should now it, but I think I'll say it again
That the governor cut my throat and he cut it good.

Let them take the governor, hold him for a couple of days.
See who goes in shooting to set him free.
Hell they'll open every jail in the country, they'd send them on their way
They'd never do to him what the governor done to me.
They'd never do to him what the governor done to me.

 

[fox69]

"The Iron Man"

"The Iron Man"


The orders came, the midnight rain
Was driving down the window pane
They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle
Showed them green and new to battle

Out on the road, the mud knee-high
The tortured trucks were slithering by
Toward the ruptured, shattered sky
They strove. It hardly mattered why

We find our hero in the mud
We guess the fever in his blood
We try, as he, to laugh at this
The Iron Man whom bullets

He's right, the song has just begun
We'd never kill a man so young
He's right, the song has just begun
We'd never kill a man so young

The sergeant, how they loathed his guts
He led them down the waggon ruts
One truck is stalled, the drivers curse
It's either ambulance or hearse

The air grows foul, the heavy stench
Is seeping from the ancient trench
He takes his place and laughs at this
The Iron Man whom bullets miss

He's right, no matter how they try
The song's too young for him to die
He's right, no matter how they try
The song's too young for him to die

The orders came, the midnight rain
Was driving down the window pane
They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle
Showed them green and new to battle

Winter came early to the house on the hill, frost, wind and snow
The builders looked at its unfinished frame, then turned to go
A small foundation, a pile of sand, a rusty hammer in a cold, cold hand
It wasn't a big house that they planned, but winter came early and winter came hard

Winter was death to the house on the hill, frost, wind and snow
Warped its timbers and cracked the foundations, then turned to go
The sketch was crumpled in a cold, cold hand. The hammer buried in the pile of sand
The builders' thoughts were of virgin land when winter came early and winter came hard

Spring was puzzled by the house on the hill, last patch of snow
Gave it flowers and climbing vines, then turned to go
Small boys played on the pile of sand, plastic weapons in their eager hands
It wasn't a big house that they planned, but winter came early and winter came hard

The young lieutenant, new to war
Is sick upon the trench's floor
The sergeant, how they cursed his head
Is suddenly quite cold and dead

The deafening explosions cease
The calm a cruel burlesque of peace
The whistle blows, the charge is made
The Iron Man is unafraid

He's right, he's young and brave and strong
Just the kind to fill a song
He's right, he's young and brave and strong
Just the kind to fill a song

The orders came, the midnight rain
Was driving down the window pane
They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle
Showed them green and new to battle

Frost on the blankets of the strong boys' room
Heat for the sissies, for the prep-school pansies
Ice cold showers for the cool platoon
Once a month a card to mamma

Wipe that smile off and shine your brass
Grab your ankles and I'll give you twenty
Drop that rifle and I'll have your ass
Once a month a card to mamma

Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping
Here in his rack my roommate is weeping
Someone is weeping. I'll be all right
Goodnight. Goodnight

Town girls love it in the picture shows
Save the dances for the home-town ladies
Save five dollars for the one who knows
Once a month a card to mamma

Grab your ankles for the old cadets
Drop your trousers and you'll get what's coming
Is there more to this than you're quite sure of?
Put it in a card to mamma

Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping
Here in his rack my roommate is weeping
Someone is weeping. I'll be all right
Goodnight, goodnight!

Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping

The whistle blows. The charge is made
The Iron Man is unafraid
The young lieutenant screams out loud
The bullets hum like a startled crowd

The young lieutenant screams and falls
The Iron Man runs up the walls
And blows the enemy a kiss
The Iron Man whom bullets miss

He's right, the man whom bullets miss
Is meant for something more than this
He's right, the man whom bullets miss
Is meant for something more than this

The orders came, the midnight rain
Was driving down the window pane
They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle
Showed them green and new to battle

Angie, from where I stand
The water breaks on the spit of sand
How does it survive?
Angie, for all I know
The sand is tired and ready to go
It's less than alive

But you, so ready to leave. The first trembling leaf to break loose in the Fall
Angie, so ready to fly. Is there time to ask why? Is there no time at all?
Or is there nothing hidden I can blame?
Angie, If Angie's your name!

Angie, from where I stand
Your smile is so discretely planned
I'm not sure it's there
Angie, for all I know
You'll notice me, you'll turn and go
You won't even care

That's you, so ready to leave. The first trembling leaf to break loose in the Fall
Angie, so ready to fly. Is there time to ask why? Is there no time at all?
Or is there nothing hidden I can blame?
Angie, If Angie's your name!

Angie, I was getting along
Nothing quite right, but nothing too wrong
I didn't know you existed
I ran my life like a safe machine
Lost myself in a safe routine
But now it's all twisted
With my hand on the knife
For the rest of my life

Angie, from where I stand
You rise and wave an ungloved hand
You smile in the sun
Angie, you smile for him
He calls to you. The light is dim
You break into a run

And you're gone. So ready to leave. The first trembling leaf to break loose in the Fall
Angie, so ready to fly. Is there time to ask why? Is there no time at all?
Or is there nothing hidden I can blame?
Angie, If Angie's your name!

The battered fort is ours again
It only cost ten-thousand men
And when a young lieutenant dies
Some survivor has to rise

So like a humble prayer of thanks
The Iron Man goes up the ranks
The man whom bullets miss goes far
He wins a kiss and wears a star

And he's right – a man who lives through that
Deserves a star upon his hat
He's right – a man who lives through that
Deserves a star upon his hat

And now the nation cheers his name
The politicians play his game
He's coaxed and shrewdly follows fate
Until he's leader of the State

The peace grows dull, the pace too slow
At last he finds convenient foe
The Congress balks, the galleries hiss
The Iron Man whom bullets miss

But he's right, the man whom bullets miss
Is meant for something more than this
He's right, the Generals pat their guns
And Congress turns and Congress runs
He's right, the nation shouts its thanks
The young men run to join the ranks
He's right, his name is in their blood
While huddling in some foreign mud

The orders came, the midnight rain
Was driving down the window pane
They rose like cattle, mess-kit rattle
Showed them green and new to battle

Play me the Taps, the quadrangle's sleeping
Here in his rack my roommate is weeping
Someone is weeping, I'll be all right
Goodnight, goodnight!

 

[fox69]

"The King Of My Backyard"

"The King Of My Backyard"


I had a bulldog; he had me
Rough and tough as any dog can be
Every evenin’ when the sun went down
That bulldog, he went running around
He was mean, he was hard
He was the king of my backyard
He was short, he wasn’t any too tall
Said, don’t you worry about nothing at all
Anybody come messin’ around
I’m the dog that’s gonna bring them down
I am mean, I am hard
I’m the king of your backyard
Late last Monday, wasn’t too late
Somebody sneakin’ by the alley gate
Four foot eleven and a hundred and three
Smallest burglar that you ever did see
He was mean, he was hard
He was creepin’ into my backyard
My dog barked, like I knew he would
The burglar picked up the kindlin’ wood
My dog hollered and the burglar said, “Git!”
Down the alley my bulldog lit
He was mean, he was hard
He was the chicken of my backyard
My dog went right through my fence
I have not seen that bulldog since
Loved that dog but I’ve had my fill
And I keep a canary on my windowsill
He is mean, he is hard
He is the king of my backyard

 

[fox69]

"The Last Hobo"

"The Last Hobo"


He was born in International Falls a long lifetime ago
Moved to Tucamcari when the iron work got slow
It was corn bread and hard scrabble and a scratchin' for every dime
Until he threw it in and he hit the road to walk the endless line

Now he's the last hobo, ridin' the last boxcar
On the last freight train, leavin' here
He's the last hobo, ridin' the last boxcar
On the last freight train, leavin' here

He tried and handled lots of jobs and he did 'em all with pride
From shoein' mules to drivin' trucks, he mastered what he tried
It must've been Ramona; she was all he cared about
When she ran away and left him, you could see the fire go out

Now he's the last hobo, ridin' the last boxcar
On the last freight train, leavin' here
He's the last hobo, ridin' the last boxcar
On the last freight train, leavin' here

We hardly ever see him, once or twice a year he stay a day or two
He'll ask about Ramona, then he'll say that he was only passin' though

Now he knows every railroad bull along the right of way
And every hobo jungle from New York to Santa Fe
He's looked for his Ramona on the far side of the hill
Now his sun is sinkin' lower and he's lookin' for her still

He's still alive, hobo, ridin' the last boxcar
On the last freight train, leavin' here
He is the last hobo, ridin' the last boxcar
On the last freight train, leavin' here

 

[fox69]

"The Last Thing On My Mind"

"The Last Thing On My Mind"


It's a lesson too late for the learning,
Made of sand, made of sand.
In the wink of an eye my soul is turning
In your hand, in your hand.

Are you going away with no word of farewell,
Will there be not a trace left behind?
I could have loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind.
You know that was the last thing on my mind.

You've got reasons a-plenty for going—
This I know, this I know—
For the weeds have been steadily growing.
Please don't go, please don't go.

Are you going away with no word of farewell,
Will there be not a trace left behind?
I could have loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind.
You know that was the last thing on my mind.

As I lie in my bed in the morning
Without you, without you,
Each song in my breast dies a-borning
Without you, without you.

Are you going away with no word of farewell,
Will there be not a trace left behind?
I could have loved you better, didn't mean to be unkind.
You know that was the last thing on my mind.

 

[fox69]

"The Losing Part"

"The Losing Part"


You can climb a whole lot of stairs when your legs are younger
You can get along on nothing when you’re making a start
You can eat brown rice and hope with time on your side
Ah but it gets much harder when you get to the losing part

When it never came true never happened to you
It just slowly faded away ‘til it broke your heart
Some dreams die harder some are living yet
Sooner or later you get to the losing part

And there’s a whole lot of fish in the sea when you first start fishing
You’re gonna take your time in choosing you’re gonna be smart
And there ain’t no need to hurry when you looking ‘em over
But it’s time to worry when you get to the losing part

When it never came true never happened to you
It just slowly faded away ‘til it broke your heart
Some dreams die harder some are living yet
Sooner or later you get to the losing part

When it never came true never happened to you
It just slowly faded away ‘til it broke your heart
Some dreams die harder some are living yet
Sooner or later you get to the losing part

You think that love’s forever when you’re a beginner
Just one love for life and a constant heart
And you’re so sure that love’s made you a winner
Right up to the day when you get to the losing part

When it never came true never happened to you
It just slowly faded away ‘til it broke your heart
Some dreams die harder some are living yet
Sooner or later you get to the losing part
Sooner or later you get to the losing part

 

[fox69]

"The Love Of Loving You"

"The Love Of Loving You"


In an unexpected moment I beheld you
I'd never seen your face, I did not know your name
Then you came into my life from out of nowhere
And now absolutely nothing is the same
You are in my heart and in my mind
Now I've known your love, I want no other kind
I can feel your power shining through
And I'm lost in the love of loving you
It's so strange the way we live our lives in sorrow
And the way we let the happiness slip by
For our eyes are always fixed upon tomorrow
While today is in the corner of our eye
You are in my heart and in my mind
Now I've known your love, I want no other kind
I can feel your power shining through
And I'm lost in the love of loving you
I was looking for tomorrow when you found me
And my heart was anywhere but in today
Now the magic of the moment's all around me
And I hear the words I always longed to say
You are in my heart and in my mind
Now I've known your love, I want no other kind
I can feel your power shining through
And I'm lost in the love of loving you
I can feel your power shining through
And I'm lost in the love of loving yo

 

[fox69]

"The Magic Whistle"

"The Magic Whistle"


I found a whistle in a drawer in my room
I never knew it was there
I quickly went and closed the door to my room
I closed the window with care
I held the whistle in my two little hands
I put my fingers on the holes
I put the whistle between my lips
And then I tried a little blow
And it played Mozart
And Beethoven
And the Beatles
It played waltzes
And ragtime
It played all the music in the world
I showed my whistle to some good friends of mine
I even played ‘em a tune
I let ‘em try it; first I played them a line
I know they’d catch on real soon
They couldn’t understand what made the thing work
This piece of plastic and tin
But then they’d take it in their own little hands
And then the whistle would begin
And it played Mozart
And Beethoven
And the Beatles
It played waltzes
And ragtime
It played all the music in the world
It didn’t matter who the player might be
Or if she’d ever played before
She’d simply try it and the player might see
That if she blew it
The music flew through it
If everybody had a whistle like mine
Can you imagine the fun
We’d have a festival and promptly at nine
We’d play a song for everyone
And they would hear us everywhere in the world
And they would share in our song
We’d try to banish every care in the world
And ask the world to sing along
And we’d play Mozart
And Beethoven
And the Beatles
We’d play waltzes
And ragtime
We’d play all the music in the world
Oh we’d play Mozart
And Beethoven
And the Beatles
We’d play waltzes
And ragtime
We’d play all the music in the world

 

[fox69]

"The Marvelous Toy"

"The Marvelous Toy"


When I was just a wee little lad full of health and joy,
My father homeward came one night and gave to me a toy.
A wonder to behold, it was, with many colors bright,
And the moment I laid eyes on it it became my heart's delight.

[Chorus:]
It went "zip" when it moved and "bop" when it stopped,
And "whirr" when it stood still.
I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.

The first time that I picked it up, I had a big surprise,
For right on its bottom were two big buttons that,
Looked like big green eyes.
I first pushed one and then the other, and then I twisted its lid,
And when I set it down again, this is what it did:

[Chorus]

It first marched left and then marched right,
And then marched under a chair.
And when l looked where it had gone, it wasn't even there.
I started to sob and my daddy laughed, for he knew that I would find,
When l turned around, my marvelous toy, chugging from behind.

[Chorus]

Well, the years have gone by too quickly, it seems,
I have my own little boy.
And yesterday I gave to him my marvelous little toy.
His eyes nearly popped right out of his head,
And he gave a squeal of glee.
Neither one of us knows just what it is,
But he loves it, just like me.

It still goes "zip" when it moves, "bop" when it stops,
And "whirr" when it stands still.
I never knew just what it was,
And I guess I never will.
I never knew just what it was,
And I guess I never will.

 

[fox69]

"The Mayor Of Macdougal Street"

"The Mayor Of Macdougal Street"


He's been gone for many years now, that's for certain.
Left a vacant spot no man can fill.
They closed the hall and someone drew the curtain.
No one's replaced him yet - no one will.

Hangin' around the Gaslight back in the day,
Laughin' with Dave Van Ronk and hearin' him play
It was Green, Green Rocky Road and play it as it lays,
The devil's on the bandstand, it's a helluva tune he plays.
But the devil puts down his banjo and he reaches for the booze
When the Mayor of MacDougal Street's playin' the blues.

When Dave Van Ronk sat down, the room got quiet.
He strummed a lazy chord on his Guild guitar.
Sounds so sweet, it made you wanna try it;
It made you dream of swingin' on a star.

Hangin' around the Gaslight back in the day,
Laughin' with Dave Van Ronk and hearin' him play
It was Green, Green Rocky Road and play it as it lays,
The devil's on the bandstand, it's a helluva tune he plays.
But the devil puts down his banjo and he reaches for the booze
When the Mayor of MacDougal Street's playin' the blues.

Never knew a man to suffer fools less gladly.
Or to view this world of ours with more jaundiced eye.
I miss this friend of mine, I miss him badly
In this pygmy world, a giant came stompin' by.

Hangin' around the Gaslight back in the day,
Laughin' with Dave Van Ronk and hearin' him play
It was Green, Green Rocky Road and play it as it lays,
The devil's on the bandstand, it's a helluva tune he plays.
But the devil puts down his banjo and he reaches for the booze
When the Mayor of MacDougal Street's playin' the blues.