F is For “Free Man in Paris”

Fandango

My theme for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge is classic rock songs. Each day during the month (except for the first four Sundays, I will post a classic rock song: a video from YouTube, along with a brief bit of background about the song and the recording artist(s).

This is much more difficult than I thought it would be. For every letter of the alphabet there are dozens of fantastic classic rock songs to choose from and picking just one song for each letter is maddening. But this is what I signed up for. My F song is Joni Mitchell’s “Free Man in Paris.” I love Joni Mitchell and I could not complete this challenge without including at least one of her songs.

“Free Man in Paris” appeared on Joni Mitchell’s 1974 album Court and Spark. It reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the Easy Listening chart. Rolling Stone ranked “Free Man in Paris” as number 470 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The “free man” in the song is David Geffen, who was in charge of Mitchell’s record label. The song is about the pressures the music industry puts on their artists. In the late ’60s, Geffen was establishing himself as an agent and Mitchell was making a name for herself with her music. They became good friends, and when Geffen started Asylum Records, Mitchell recorded for the label.

The two confided in each other, and Geffen would often talk about the extraordinary pressures he faced as a high-powered music mogul. Mitchell wrote the song when she and Geffen took a trip to Paris. Although Geffen is never mentioned by name, Mitchell describes how hard he worked creating hits and launching careers but was able to find some peace while vacationing in Paris. Geffen told her that he felt most alive and unencumbered when he was in Paris, where nobody could call him up and ask for favors and he had no futures to decide.

David Crosby and Graham Nash, who were good friends with Mitchell, and also Geffen clients, sang backup on this track. José Feliciano played guitar on this track.

Geffen didn’t think this song had hit potential, but was convinced to release it as a single. Issued as the follow-up to the album’s first single, “Help Me,” it became one of Mitchell’s most popular songs.

Here are the lyrics to “Free Man in Paris.”

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 I had my way
I'd just walk out those doors
And wander down the Champs-Élysées
Going café 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

Previous 2023 A to Z posts: A B C D E

41 thoughts on “F is For “Free Man in Paris””

  1. newepicauthor April 7, 2023 / 6:12 am

    I have never been to Paris, but it is on my bucket list of places to visit. Nice choice for your song today, Fandango.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Jamie April 7, 2023 / 7:43 am

    Amazing to learn that this is about the head of Geffen Records.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. sandyjwhite April 7, 2023 / 8:23 am

    Joni Mitchell is a favorite of mine, also. And I just heard this song on the radio this morning.
    Go figure!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. rugby843 April 7, 2023 / 8:53 am

    A favorite ❤️

    Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango April 7, 2023 / 12:37 pm

      She is wonderful singer/songwriter.

      Like

      • Carol anne April 7, 2023 / 12:37 pm

        I had heard of her, but hadn’t listened to much by her, but I will now!

        Liked by 1 person

  7. John Holton April 7, 2023 / 2:55 pm

    She has a real interesting approach to the guitar that I didn’t realize until a few years ago. I also like that she works with a lot of jazz musicians…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango April 7, 2023 / 7:49 pm

      She’s got a very jazzy sound to her music.

      Like

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  20. leigha66 April 20, 2023 / 8:53 am

    I am not familiar with a lot of Joni’s music, but this was pretty good! Nice choice!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango April 20, 2023 / 12:02 pm

      You should give her a listen. I’m a big fan.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Marleen April 20, 2023 / 12:34 pm

    I first happened across this — the Summertime part — because someone in the audience had recoded part before their battery died. Then I lost it. But here is a larger context.

    Joni Mitchell sings SUMMERTIME
    and THE CIRCLE GAME…
    Gershwin Prize tribute, March 1, 2023

    Liked by 1 person

      • Marleen April 20, 2023 / 11:39 pm

        It is SO good. And a good pairing of a couple songs.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Marleen April 21, 2023 / 4:23 pm

      It’s always enlightening to hear of other famous people doing the part of backup: David Crosby and Graham Nash… sang backup on this track. José Feliciano played guitar … [for the Free Man in Paris recording].

      Graham can be seen at the start and finish of this
      Gershwin tribute — and Mitchell honor — clip.

      Liked by 1 person

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