The Ukulele Alphabet: Free Man in Paris by Joni Mitchell
Letter M, Week 1
“Free Man in Paris” by Joni Mitchell
The internet is awash in Joni Mitchell covers, and with good reason. She’s rightfully an icon and our world is a better one for having her music in it.
As Emma Thompson’s Karen says in Love Actually:
“Free Man in Paris” is famously about David Geffen, the mega-successful entertainment mogul, and the dichotomy of the pressures he faced in his day-to-day business life vs. the freedom he felt on a vacation to France.
I’m not David Geffen.
But I can identify with the feeling of escape and anonymity when you’re traveling. The freedom of being unreachable by your clients and everyday tasks and petty annoyances. That wistful hope of “well, maybe I don’t ever have to go back to that…” even though you know it ain’t true.
And also, I just love singing the line “and wander down the Champs-Élysées…” Which Joni pronounces correctly, unlike Taylor Swift and Dom Pérignon.
Here’s a fun tale about that trip from Robbie Robertson of The Band. You’ll hear more from them in a few months…
Listen to the original version of “Free Man in Paris”:
What’s the Ukulele Alphabet?
Read all about my 2025 ukulele performance project (and its rules) here.
I want to A-B-SEEEE some more!
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