Free Man In Paris

(simple Joni chords in A)

Words & Music:

Joni Mitchell

A D

The way I see it he said, you just can't win it,

C G

Everybody's in it for their own gain; you can't please 'em all,

F A

There's always somebody putting you down,

I do my best and I do good business,

C G

There's a lot of people asking for my time, they're tryin' to get ahead;

F A

They're tryin' to be a good friend of mine.

CHORUS:

F G

I was a free man in Paris, I felt unfettered and alive.

C Asus4 A

There was nobody callin' me up for favours & no-one's future to decide.

F G C

You know I'd go back there tomorrow but for the work I've taken on,

Asus4 D A

Stokin' the star-maker machinery behind the popular songs.

Em9 A | Em9 A | Em9 A

C D F | C D G A | C D F | C D G A

I deal in dreamers and telephone screamers.

Lately I wonder what I do it for; if I had my way,

I'd just walk through those doors and wander down the Champs Elysees.

Going cafe to cabaret, thinking how I'd feel when I find

That very good friend of mine.

CHORUS:

OUTRO:

A C D F | C D G A

Free Man In Paris

(complex version in open D)

Words & Music:

Joni Mitchell

Tabber: Howard Wright

Notes from Howard: "Open D Tuning (D A D F# A D) ... For the verse and chorus I'll just put down the chord shapes once each time the chord changes. Check out the record for details on strumming."

INTRO:

D----5---7---10---10-10-10-10------10--0----5--0----7---7-7-7-7--|

A----7---9---12---12-12-12-12------10--0----5--0----7---7-7-7-7--|

F#---6---8---11---11-11-11-11------10--0----5--0----7---7-7-7-7--|

D----5---7---10---10-10-10-10------10--0----5--0----7---7-7-7-7--|

A----------------------------------10--0----5--0----7---7-7-7-7--|

D----------------------------------10--0----5--0----7---7-7-7-7--|

D---5---7---10---10-10-10-10-----10--0----5--0----7---7-7---7-7---7-7--|

A---7---9---12---12-12-12-12-----10--0----5--0----7---7-7---7-7---7-7--|

F#--6---8---11---11-11-11-11-----10--0----5--0----7---7-7---7-7---7-7--|

D---5---7---10---10-10-10-10-----10--0----5--0----7---7-7---7-7---7-7--|

A--------------------------------10--0----5--0----7---7-7---7-7---7-7--|

D--------------------------------10--0----5--0----7---7-7---7-7---7-7--|

Carry on strumming that chord at the seventh fret for a few bars...

VERSE 1:

D----------7--------------------------------7-------------------|

A----------7--------------------------------7-------------------|

F#---------7--------------------------------8-------------------|

D----------7--------------------------------7-------------------|

A----------7--------------------------------9-------------------|

D----------7--------------------------------7-------------------|

'The way I see it' he said 'you just can't win it, everybody's

D----5----------------------------------------------5-----------|

A----5----------------------------------------------5-----------|

F#---6----------------------------------------------5-----------|

D----5----------------------------------------------5-----------|

A----7----------------------------------------------5-----------|

D----5----------------------------------------------5-----------|

in it for their own gain you can't please them all there's always

D----5-----------------------7-----------------------------7-----|

A----5-----------------------7-----------------------------7-----|

F#---6-----------------------7-----------------------------8-----|

D----5-----------------------7-----------------------------7-----|

A----7-----------------------7-----------------------------9-----|

D----5-----------------------7-----------------------------7-----|

somebody shooting you down. I do my best and I do good business

D---------------------------5-------------------------------5---|

A---------------------------5-------------------------------5---|

F#--------------------------6-------------------------------5---|

D---------------------------5-------------------------------5---|

A---------------------------7-------------------------------5---|

D---------------------------5-------------------------------5---|

there's a lot of people asking for my time trying to get ahead

D-------------10-----------------7--------7--7--7--7-----------------|

A-------------12-----------------7--------7--7--7--7-----------------|

F#------------11-----------------7--------8--7--8--7-----------------|

D-------------10-----------------7--------7--7--7--7-----------------|

A--------------------------------7--------9--7--9--7-----------------|

D--------------------------------7--------7--7--7--7-----------------|

trying to be a good friend of mine.

CHORUS:

D--------3-------------------------5-----------------5-----------|

A--------3-------------------------5-----------------5-----------|

F#-------3-------------------------5-----------------6-----------|

D--------3-------------------------5-----------------5-----------|

A--------3-------------------------5-----------------7-----------|

D--------3-------------------------5-----------------5-----------|

I was a free man in Paris I felt unfettered and alive there was

D---------7------------------7-------------------5------------7--|

A---------7------------------7-------------------5------------7--|

F#--------7------------------8-------------------5------------7--|

D---------7------------------7-------------------5------------7--|

A---------7------------------9-------------------0------------7--|

D---------7------------------7--------------------------------7--|

nobody calling me up for favours and noone's future to decide

D-------------3----------------------------------5--------------5--|

A-------------3----------------------------------5--------------5--|

F#------------3----------------------------------5--------------6--|

D-------------3----------------------------------5--------------5--|

A-------------3----------------------------------5--------------7--|

D-------------3----------------------------------5--------------5--|

you know I'd go back there tomorrow but for the work I've taken on

D---------------7-------------7-----------------5-----------7---|

A---------------7-------------7-----------------5-----------7---|

F#--------------7-------------8-----------------5-----------7---|

D---------------7-------------7-----------------5-----------7---|

A---------------7-------------9-----------------0-----------7---|

D---------------7-------------7-----------------------------7---|

stoking the star-maker machinery behind the popular song

D--------4-------4---------7-----7-7--7-7------|

A--------5-------5---------7-----7-7--7-7------|

F#---5---5---5---5---5-----7-----8p7--8p7------| Repeat this last line 1x

D----5---5---5---5---5-----7-----7-7--7-7------|

A----0---0---0---0---0-----7-----9p7--9p7------|

D--------------------------7-----7-7--7-7------|

Then play the intro again, and into the second verse & chorus:

Repeat the last tab line of the chorus, as before, then go back

to the intro bit. Play intro bit four times, and that's it !