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Free Man In Paris

Joni Mitchell

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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 l had my way

I'd just walk through those doors

And wander

Down the Champs Elysees

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.";

LanguageEnglish
Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

Free Man In Paris by Joni Mitchell is a reflective exploration of the music industry and the longing for freedom. The song narrates the experience of a music business executive who feels burdened by the demands and pressures of the industry, expressing a desire to escape and enjoy the carefree spirit of being in Paris. Key themes include the search for personal freedom, the constraints of professional life, and the contrast between work and relaxation. Poignant moments include the repeated refrain 'I was a free man in Paris, I felt unfettered and alive,' which captures the essence of liberation juxtaposed with the protagonist's current reality.

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