An Emerging Folk Icon: Guitar And Vocal Cover of "The Last Thing On My Mind"

March 27, 2025 00:03:20
An Emerging Folk Icon: Guitar And Vocal Cover of "The Last Thing On My Mind"
Heart Banter by David Gittlin
An Emerging Folk Icon: Guitar And Vocal Cover of "The Last Thing On My Mind"

Mar 27 2025 | 00:03:20

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Show Notes

Tom Paxton released "The Last Thing On My Mind" in 1964 on his album, Ramblin' Boy." The inspiration for the song came from Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan's versions of "He Was A Friend of Mine." This lost love ballad became one of Paxton's biggest hits. He is also known for his protest songs against the Vietnam War and other social injustices. (What Did You Learn In School Today?)

"The Last Thing On My Mind" was one of the first songs I learned some forty years ago when I started playing the guitar. This is the first time I've released my cover publicly. The themes of the song include friendship, loss, and the passage of time. Here's my cover.

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Episode Transcript

[00:00:10] It's a lesson too late for the learning. [00:00:17] Made of sand. [00:00:20] Made of sand. [00:00:23] In the blink of an eye My toll is turning in your. [00:00:33] In your hand. [00:00:36] Are you going away with no word of farewell? [00:00:44] Will there be nothing to race left behind? [00:00:51] Well, I could have loved you better. [00:00:54] Didn't mean to be unkind. [00:00:57] You know that was the last thing on my mind. [00:01:07] You got reasons plenty for going. [00:01:13] This I know. [00:01:16] This I know. [00:01:20] But the weeds have been steadily growing. [00:01:26] Please don't go. [00:01:29] Please don't go. [00:01:33] Are you going away with no word of farewell? [00:01:41] Will there be not a trace left behind? [00:01:47] Well, I could have loved you better. [00:01:50] Didn't mean to be unkind. [00:01:54] You know that was the last thing on my mind. [00:02:06] As I lie in my bed in the morning without you. [00:02:16] Without you. [00:02:19] Each song in my heart dies a burning. [00:02:25] Without you. [00:02:29] Without you. [00:02:32] Are you going away with no, no word of farewell? [00:02:40] Where there be not a trace left behind? [00:02:47] Well, I could love you better. Didn't mean to be unkind. Don't you know that was the last thing? [00:03:05] The last thing on my mind?

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This episode is also available as a blog post: http://davidgittlin.net/2021/05/03/throw-a-stone-in-the-water/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david-gittlin/message

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