Today’s classic song of the day is a gentle lament from folksinger/songwriter Tom Paxton, “The Last Thing on My Mind”. He first recorded the song for his 1964 album, Ramblin’ Boy, and it later became a top ten country hit for the duo of Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton.
“The Last Thing on My Mind” is one of Tom Paxton’s best-known and longest-lasting songs. It’s a tender, wistful tune about the ending of a love affair, which makes it pretty much universal. The lyrics are straightforward and tear at your heart:
It’s a lesson too late for the learning
Made of sand, made of sand
In the wink of an eye, my soul is turnin’
In your hand, in your hand
As I lie in my bed in the mornin’
Without you, without you.
Every song in my breast lies a bornin’
Without you, without youAre you going away with no word of farewell?
Will there be not a trace left behind?
Well, I could’ve loved you better, didn’t mean to be unkind
You know that was the last thing on my mind
Who hasn’t felt that way at some point in their lives? That’s one of the reasons why the song has made such a lasting impression on listeners.
Just about any beginning guitarist can play “The Last Thing on My Mind.” It’s in the key of G and uses only the I, IV, and V (G, C, and D) chords. Its musical simplicity does not diminish its emotional power, however; it has a beautiful melody (which Tom was very good at writing) to accompany its sensitive lyrics. (Paxton adapted the music from the traditional British folk song, “The Leaving of Liverpool.”)
“The Last Thing on My Mind” has been covered by dozens of different artists both inside and outside the folk genre, including Joan Baez, Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins, the Seekers, Neil Diamond, Charly Pride, Chris de Burgh, the Lettermen, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Cash, and Peter, Paul and Mary. The best-known version is probably the one released by Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton in October of 1967; their single reached #7 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart. You may have also heard the song on the soundtrack for the Coen Brothers’ 2013 movie, Inside Llewyn Davis. I just know it as a staple of the folk repertoire, and justifiably so.
Tom Paxton was born in Illinois but grew up in Oklahoma. He got his first guitar at age 16 and, after enrolling in the drama program at the University of Oklahoma, began immersing himself in the music of Woody Guthrie and other folk singers. After graduating from college and serving a stint in the army, he began frequenting folk clubs in Greenwich Village and writing his own songs. In addition to gaining a following as a performer, his songs were enthusiastically adopted by other singers. Among his best-known songs are “The Marvelous Toy” (“it went ‘zip’ when it moved and ‘bop’ when it stopped and ‘whirr’ when it stood still”), “Bottle of Wine,” “What Did You Learn in School Today?,” and “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound.”
Paxton signed with Elektra Records and released his first album for that label, Ramblin’ Boy, in 1964. His career took off from there, distinguished as one of the first folk singers (even before Dylan) to write and sing his own songs. Paxton embraced the ’60s Civil Rights movement and toured the country and the world. He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and is still touring today.
My wife and I caught Tom Paxton in concert (with Janis Ian) a decade or so ago, and he was as charming as you can imagine. Without a doubt, “The Last Thing on My Mind” was the highlight of a set full of highlights. The two of them ended the concert sitting together on the edge of the stage of the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, just the two of them and their guitars, no mics, singing songs with the crowd. It was something special.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, an older and wiser Tom Paxton (accompanied by John McCutcheon) performing “The Last Thing on My Mind” live at the Red Clay Music Foundry on May 5, 2024. It doesn’t get much better than this.
