Song Lyrics

Free Man In Paris

by Joni Mitchell

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The way I see it he said
You just can't win it
Everybody's in it for their own gain
You can't please 'em all
There's always somebody calling you down
I do my best
And I do good business
There's a lot of people asking for my time
They're trying to get ahead
They're trying to be a good friend of mine

I was a free man in Paris
I felt unfettered and alive
There was nobody calling me up for favors
And no one's future to decide
You know I'd go back there tomorrow
But for the work I've taken on
Stoking the star maker machinery
Behind the popular song

I deal in dreamers
And telephone screamers
Lately I wonder what I do it for
If l had my way
I'd just walk through those doors
And wander
Down the Champs Elysées *
Going cafe to cabaret
Thinking how I'll feel when I find
That very good friend of mine

I was a free man in Paris
I felt unfettered and alive
Nobody was calling me up for favors
No one's future to decide
You know I'd go back there tomorrow
But for the work I've taken on
Stoking the star maker machinery
Behind the popular song

© November 28, 1973; Crazy Crow Music

Footnotes

As archived in Mojo Magazine's March 2019 issue: “I wrote that in Paris for David Geffen [president of Asylum Records], taking a lot of it from the things he said…Another song about show business and the pressures. He didn’t like it at the time. He begged me to take it off the record. I think he felt uncomfortable being shown in that light.”

Transcriptions of Free Man In Paris

Free Man In Paris has been recorded by 98 other artists

  • A Bird That Whistles (from "A Bird That Whistles" - 1996)
  • Alvarez, Guada (from "Homenaje a Joni Mitchell IX Festival Ondas de Jazz en la cuidad" - 2015)
  • Baker, Cheryl  (from "Cheryl Sings Joni" - 2017)
  • Big Dutch Babies (from "Brain Salad Surgery" - 2019)
  • Big Faith (from "Back To The Garden" - 1992)
  • Big Yellow (- 2016)
  • Big Yellow Taxi (from "A Tribute To Joni Mitchell" - 2002)
  • Black Crow (- 2010)
  • Blue Tapestry (from "Blue Tapestry" - 2002)
  • Bruce Isaacson with Red Seidman (from "Live at the Hog's Breath Saloon Key West" - 2003)
  • Capt. Qitn (from "For the Love Of..Capt. Qitn." - 1999)
  • CCRobin (from "The Last CCRobin Tapes" - 1998)
  • Chappell Kingsland (from "this 'n' that" - )
  • Colvin, Shawn  (from "(unreleased live performance)" - )
  • Count Zero (from "Affluenza" - 1996)
  • Court And Spark Band (- )
  • David Johnson & Fake Zappa (from "In Search of Love and Music: A Tribute to Joni Mitchell" - 2019)
  • Del Paggio, Marcelo (from "Completa Luz " - 2003)
  • Diachun, Melody (from "Eq" - 2008)
  • Diamond, Neil  (from "I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight" - 1977)
  • Diane Rosenthal, Dave Egelhofer, & Deeme Katson (from "Strathmore Presents - A Tribute To Joni Mitchell" - 2009)
  • Doug Organ Trio (from "Doug Organ Trio" - 2010)
  • Dupas, Armel (from "Emporté par le vent" - 2020)
  • Eden, Joanna (from "Joni & Me" - 2016)
  • Engling, Gail  (from "Just Because..." - 2012)
  • Farley, Michael (from "VII" - 2018)
  • Flies On The Square Egg (from "From Paris to New York" - 2013)
  • Foni Mitchell (from "Foni Mitchell" - 2022)
  • Ford, Kimberly (from "A Celebration of Joni Mitchell" - 2015)
  • Graham Blvd (from "Chartbusters 1974" - 2008)
  • Harding, Tim (from "60" - 2022)
  • Henning Olsen Band (from "A Tribute Minus Mitchell" - 2004)
  • Holmes, Blair (from "Mood Ring" - 2021)
  • Inside Out Jazz (from "Live At CJ's" - 2008)
  • Isaacson, Bruce (from "All I Wanna Be Is Me" - 2010)
  • Jazzbum/Daniel Davison (from "Impressions" - 2001)
  • Jenna & the Charmers (from "Everyone I Love Is Here" - 2019)
  • John, Elton (from "A Case Of Joni" - 2000)
  • Jojo (from "Agape" - 2012)
  • Jolize (from "North Spur" - 2004)
  • JukeVox LibrAries (from "Not Made for These Times" - 2023)
  • Kennedy, Brian (from "A Love Letter To Joni" - 2013)
  • King, Jonathon (from "A Rose In A Fisted Glove" - 1975)
  • KLGO (from "Almost Blue" - 2021)
  • Lagan, Mandy (from "The Joni Book I" - 2016)
  • Lewis, Al (from "The Covers EP Vol.1" - 2013)
  • Lounge Crew (from "Paris Café: A Collection of Traditional French Love Songs" - 2012)
  • Love City Music Collective (- 2020)
  • Lovecraft, Paul (from "Love In The Time Of Outrage" - 2019)
  • LRK Trio (- )
  • Mammina, Jenna (from "Moonlight Ladies" - 2019)
  • Manning, Dayna (from "Morning Light" - 2019)
  • Martha J. and Chebat Quartet (from "Amelia" - 2024)
  • Miller, Betsy  (from "Becology" - 2013)
  • Milne, Andy (from "New Age of Aquarius" - 1999)
  • Olympia (- 2016)
  • Pessell, Dan (from "Silver Soul" - 2018)
  • Phish (- 2010)
  • Piano Project (from "Piano Tribute to Joni Mitchell" - 2021)
  • Pizzarelli, John (from "Double Exposure" - 2012)
  • Rachel Z Trio (from "Moon At The Window" - 2002)
  • Redtenbacher's Funkestra (from "BOTH SIDES NOW: AN HOMAGE TO THE SONGS OF JONI MITCHELL " - 2023)
  • Robin Adler & Mutts of the Planet (from "Joni Mitchell's Blue & Court And Spark - Live At Dizzy's" - 2011)
  • Rondonna (from "I Must Release" - 2022)
  • Rossio, Carol  (from "Pardon My French" - 2011)
  • Scattergood, Liz (- )
  • Scott, Jennifer  (from "Emotional Girl" - 2005)
  • Security (from "Protocol" - 2012)
  • Sessoms, Vivian (from "The Songs of Joni Mitchell: A Soulful Tribute" - 2017)
  • Shadows and Light (- 2019)
  • Signal Hill (from "Making Waves, Vol. 1" - 2013)
  • Slean, Sarah (- 2007)
  • Space Of A Day (from "Digital Single" - 2018)
  • Sprague, Peter (from "River" - 2022)
  • Steve Shapiro/Pat Bergeson (from "Backward Compatible" - 2008)
  • Stevens, Sufjan (from "A Tribute To Joni Mitchell" - 2007)
  • Susan Cowsill Band (from "Live at Carrollton Station Covered in Vinyl Series Vol. 1" - 2007)
  • Sutton, Tierney  (from "After Blue" - 2013)
  • Sutton, Tierney  (from "Paris Sessions 2" - 2022)
  • The Acoustic Guitar Troubadours (from "Acoustic Instrumental Memories" - 2009)
  • The Big Wu (- )
  • The Cardinal Sinners (from "Live From Crowell!" - 1992)
  • The Mighty Avalanche Choir (from "Great Wizard version 2" - 1976)
  • The Rhythm Method (from "Immaculate Contraception" - )
  • The Sound Effects (from "Autumn '74" - 1974)
  • The Way It Is (from "Cover Lover" - 2012)
  • This N' That (from "Comfort Food" - 2021)
  • Thorpe, Billy (from "Solo (The Last Recordings)" - 2007)
  • Tincher, Jeff (from "All I Want" - 2015)
  • Tinkerscuss (from "A History Of Tinkerscuss, Vol. 2" - 2023)
  • Tom Lum Forest (from "The Roots of Happiness" - 2014)
  • Tom Lum Forest (from "Alt Roots" - 2019)
  • Torture And The Desert Spiders (from "Joni Mitchell Cover Comp" - 2020)
  • Venice (from "Brunch Buffet" - 2016)
  • Vrony & Support (- )
  • White, Jay (from "Beautiful Noise (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" - 2011)
  • Winchell, Jimmy (from "Jimmy Winchell Gives You The Business" - 2000)
  • Young, Adrienne (from "Room to Grow" - 2007)
  • [more information on recordings by other artists]

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