Tom Paxton

[fox69]

"Fare Thee Well, Cisco"

"Fare Thee Well, Cisco"


While walkin’ through the railroad yard
On a cold and a rainy night
I saw a string of old boxcars
As it pulled out of sight
I heard the whistle blowin’
Just as sad as anything
And it made me think of Cisco
And the songs he used to sing
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Here for just a while
Gone a many a mile
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
He walked down every highway
In this great and mighty land
He sang the songs of what he saw
He sang for every man
He had no truck with nonsense
He sang 'em straight and plain
He got his greatest music
From the whistle of a train
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Here for just a while
Gone a many a mile
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Well, I dreamed that me and Cisco
We were standin’ in some town
The good clean air was in our lungs
And the sun was a-shining down
He said, “This land has lots of room
It stretches far and wide
There's a lonesome freight at six-o-eight
Let's grab that train and ride”
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Here for just a while
Gone a many a mile
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Well, he rambled 'round with Woody
Just to see what he could see
And when the fascist tide was high
He rambled out to sea
And everywhere he rambled
He made friends of many men
And Cisco's friends can tell us
We won't see his kind again
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Here for just a while
Gone a many a mile
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee well
Fare thee well, Cisco, fare thee wel

 

[fox69]

"Fish Are Orderly"

"Fish Are Orderly"


Fish are orderly, fish have rules
Everyone knows that fish have schools
Fish are swimming in the clear, blue stream
And every night the little fish dream
Of flying across the sky
Just flying, and they wonder why
They’ve got to stay in the shivery water
And swim, swim, swim
Birds are feathery, birds have beaks
Some have chirps and some have cheeps
Birds go soaring in the clouds all day
But in their dreams, dream that they
Are swimming in the clear blue stream
Just swimming, yes, the little birds dream
But a bird’s gotta do what a bird’s gotta do
And fly, fly, fly
Just as crazily, just as dumb
We’re unhappy with where we’re from
Something’s better than the thing we’ve got
We want to be whatever we’re not
But maybe - the way we are
Just maybe - will take us far
Maybe we ought to be ourselves
And say, say, say
That we’re okay
Frogs have green skin, frogs have pads
Frogs don’t listen to moms and dads
Sitting on lily pads, sitting on logs
In their thoughts these foolish frogs
Are dancing in a soft blue light
They’re dancing on a starry night
But a frog’s gotta stay where a frog’s gotta stay
And reebit, reebit, reebit
Just as crazily, just as dumb
We’re unhappy with where we’re from
Something’s better than the thing we’ve got
We want to be whatever we’re not
But maybe - the way we are
Just maybe - will take us far
Maybe we ought to be ourselves
And say, say, say
That we’re okay
Maybe we ought to be ourselves
And say, say, say
That we’re okay

 

[fox69]

"Fred"

"Fred"


I have a dog, and his name is Fred.
Poor old feller, he'd be better off dead,
Than to live his life with me;
Me being one old flea.

Fred used to scratch his back and side,
Poor old feller, I would run and hide,
I'd drink me a big old beer,
And wait till the coast was clear.

I know I sound like a mean old rat,
But I'm just a flea, you know I can't help that,
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!

Fred won shows, he was a big success,
So I was living at the best address,
Life was a pleasure for me;
He made me a high-class flea.
Fred won ribbons and loving cups-
He outclassed all of them other pups,
But as soon as we were back in the yard,
I'd nip that rascal hard.

I know I sound like a mean old rat,
But I'm just a flea, you know I can't help that,
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!

Well, Fred got older and he quit the shows-
Makes you wonder where the glory goes.
Now we lie in the noonday sun,
And think of the stuff we've won.
Fred gets sleepy when the sun gets hot,
So we take a little snooze until the day is shot,
And if I want to go in at night,
I give him a little bite.

I take it easy, 'cause he's old and fat,
But I'm still a flea, you know I can't help that.
We're a perfect team, a pretty good match;
I provide the itch and he replies with the scratch.
Scratch, Fred, roll on the ground,
Scratch, Fred, it makes a musical sound:
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhhh!
Chicka chicka chicka chicka chhh

 

[fox69]

"Gaining On Me"

"Gaining On Me"


Raining, it's raining
The old blues are gaining
The old blues are gaining on me
Shadows, the shadows
Come in through my windows
And make things so black l can't see
Somebody told me
It's not strange at all
To feel like you're crying
When rain starts to fall
And it's raining, it's raining
The old blues are gaining
The old blues are gaining on me
Raining, keep raining
I know when it's raining
I don't need explaining to see
My baby, my lover
Losing my lover
It's raining and she's leaving me
The blues can get to you
In so many ways
And lately I'm crying
On the sunniest days
And it's raining, it's raining
The old blues are gaining
The old blues are gaining on me
Oh, the blues can get to you
In so many ways
And lately I'm crying
On the sunniest days
And it's raining, it's raining
The old blues are gaining
The old blues are gaining on me
Gaining on me

 

[fox69]

"Gas Line Romance"

"Gas Line Romance"


I met my love
At the end of the line
She was sittin’ in hers
I was sittin’ in mine
We were waiting for gas
Out Santa Monica way
It was beginning to look like
It would take all day
We were fated to meet
And I can show you how
Our licence plates were both even
And we both said - oh wow
We were inching forwards
We continued to chat
We both turned out to be Pisces
Can you imagine that
Though she answered to Bambi
Her folks had named her Ruth
Her licence plate was so humble
It simply said ‘For Truth’
I said this crisis
Was gettin’ me down
Bambi said she was counting
On Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown was her hero
Bambi thought he was cool
I replied I can hear you
He is nobody’s fool
He knows about music
He knows about dress
You talk about Jerry
You’re talkin’ gas
We finally got to the gas pump
Bambi got her gas
To me they said sorry
But that was the last
I blushed and remembered
But I confessed that I cried
As Bambi seemed to grow cooler
My engine spluttered and died
The last I saw of my true love
She was pulling away
She said she would see me
We’d take a meeting someday
Goodbye to my Bambi
There’s a tear in my eye
I’ll remember forever
The day the pumps went dry

 

[fox69]

"Gentle My Love"

"Gentle My Love"


Gentle my love; come down
Gentle my love, to me
Lovely, my love, the sound
The sound of your name can be
Precious my love, sing low
Precious my love, your song
Gentle my love, you know
You know where our hearts’ belong
Gentle my love, you know
You see how our love can grow
Gentle my love and how
Nothing can stop us now
Gentle my love, be still
Listen, my love to me
Precious my love, we will
Lovely my love, be free
Gentle my love, you know
You see how our love can grow
Gentle my love and how
Nothing can stop us now
Gentle my love; come down
Gentle my love, to me
Lovely, my love, the sound
The sound of your name can be
Lovely, my love, the sound
The sound of your name can be

 

[fox69]

"Georgie On The Freeways"

"Georgie On The Freeways"


The summer sun was beating down,
Oh pity would it show
George Chester's office air conditioner
Would no longer go.
As pools of sweat rolled off his brow
He had one reverie.
He saw himself with his wife and kids
In his cottage by the sea.

He paid for his car at the parking lot
Which gave the poor man chills.
The attendant laughed and walked away
Thumbing a roll of bills.
He started his engine with trembling hands
At the end of a long, hard day.
And placing himself in the hands of God
He drove to the long freeway.

The traffic stretched far as the eye can see
As bumper to bumper they sped.
They drove at supernatural speeds
Which filled his heart with dread.
Sometimes they stopped for an hour or more
And a thousand horns would blow.
George Chester's eyes rolled back in his head
And his poor brain started to go.

He came at last to the turnpike gate
And he laid his money down.
He took the fist turn to the right
And he followed the curve around
He took each bend of the clover leaf,
He followed every sign,
And when he came back to the same toll gate
He gave them another dime.

His hands were tight on the steering wheel,
His lips and throat were dry.
He swore by all that he held dear
He'd make it through or die.
He took the first turn to the right
The clover leaf to go through.
He was quite sure of his success
Till the toll gate rose in view.

And now they say when the moon is full
And the clover leaf is still,
The sound of an engine can be heard
Laboring up the hill.
A dime drops in the toll machine
In the cool of a summer's night.
And eternally that poor car
Takes the first turn to the right.

 

[fox69]

"Gettin' Up Early"

"Gettin' Up Early"


Gettin' up early to see the mist still kissing the land
I watch the sunrise the way the great creator planned
I walk the long grass get my legs all covered with dew
Gettin' up early remembering you
Gettin' up early remembering you

Out in the meadow I see the cows beginning to graze
I watch a crow fly I see the sun start burning the haze
These summer mornings not a whole lot left to do but
Gettin' up early remembering you
Gettin' up early remembering you

How many times did we greet the morning sun
And send the stars off to bedtime one by one
We'd sing "Mr Tambouring Man" then
We'd fall into each other's arms again

Getting up early these days I just can't stay in bed
I make the coffee an old song runs 'round my head
Out on the back porch I've got a long day to get through
Gettin' up early remembering you
Gettin' up early remembering you

How many times did we greet the morning sun
And send the stars off to bedtime one by one
We'd sing "Mr Tambouring Man" then
We'd fall into each other's arms again

Getting up early these days I just can't stay in bed
I make the coffee an old song runs 'round my head
Out on the back porch I've got a long day to get through
Gettin' up early remembering you
Gettin' up early remembering you

 

[fox69]

"Goin' To The Zoo"

"Goin' To The Zoo"


Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow;
Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
We can stay all day.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

See the elephant with the long trunk swingin',
Great big ears and long trunk swingin',
Snuffin' up peanuts with the long trunk swingin';
We can stay all day.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

See all the monkeys scritch scritch scratchin',
Jumpin' all around and scritch scritch scratchin',
Hangin' by their long tails scritch scritch scratchin';
We can stay all day.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

Big black bear, all a huff huff a-puffin';
Coat's too heavy, he's huff huff a-puffin',
Don't get too near the huff huff a-puffin',
Or you won't stay all day.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

Seals in the pool all honk honk honkin',
Catchin' fish and honk honk honkin',
Little seals honk honk honkin'; [high pitched voice]
We can stay all day.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

[Slower tempo:]
We stayed all day and we're gettin' sleepy,
Sittin' in the car gettin' sleep sleep sleepy,
Home already and we're sleep sleep sleepy,
We have stayed all day.

We've been to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
So have you, you, you.
You came too, too, too,
We're been to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

Momma's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow;
Momma's taking us to the zoo tomorrow,
We can stay all day.

We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo;
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too.
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo.

 

[fox69]

"Good King Buzz"

"Good King Buzz"


When the Good King Buzz was buzzin', I was halfway down the street
Heard the sound of music and the sound of dancing feet
Like a second-hand calliope just slightly out of key
They all raised their voices in a harmony

When the Good King High was risin', I was tryin' to crack on down
Someone started playin' piano and he was tossin' the chords around
And then the washboard started bangin' with a heck of a one, two, three
And they raised their voices in a harmony

They sang la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la

Oh, I was knockin' on every door
I was runnin' from floor to floor
They were somewhere close at hand
They were 'bout to be my favorite band

When the Good King Miles was mellow, I was back down on the street
Halfway to my bus stop, admittin' my defeat
When they yelled down from my window, and they were yellin' down to me
And we raised our voices in a harmony

We sang la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la

Oh, I was knockin' on every door
I was runnin' from floor to floor
They were somewhere close at hand
They were 'bout to be my favorite band

When the Good King Miles was mellow, I was back down on the street
Halfway to my bus stop, admittin' my defeat
When they yelled down from my window, and they were yellin' down to me
And we raised our voices in a harmony

We sang la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la
We sang la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la...