"Free Man In Paris" by Joni Mitchell
Note: Joni Mitchell changes octaves in the smoothest way ever, and
she often "slides" her voice into the next chord. ie; from regular A,
to barred A, imo. You need to really listen to this song a lot, to get
the rhythm changes of her vocals to match the strum pattern.
The intro and the instrumental are just my "campfire version", with no
intent of exactness.
The "lick" right after verse 1 is probably best skipped for one guitar,
unless you're a pro, which I am not. Your tips are welcomed, as this is my
first tab or chord rendition.
Standard Tuning
+++++++++++++++++
Odd Chords
Em9 x20002
Asus4 x2220x (or try Am)
bA = barred A on the 5th fret
INTRO: (barre the F,G, and A)
One strum: C D F F... F....GxA.
or
F.G.A...Dm.C.A (strumming "barred A" right into verse)
A (/barre A) D
The way I see___ it he said, you just can't win it,
G
Everybody's in it for their own gain; you can't please 'em all,
F A
There's always somebody calling you down,
bA D
I do my best and I do good business,
G
There's a lot of people asking for my time,
They're tryin' to get ahead;
C A
they're tryin' to be a good friend of mine__,
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/j/joni_mitchell/free_man_in_paris_crd.html ]
(optional lick before chorus) e-----9h10-9-10-9-
B--10------------10
Chorus
A F
I was a free man in Paris,
G
I felt unfettered and alive,
C Asus4 D
There was nobody callin' me up for favours
A
and no-ones future to decide,
F
You know I'd go back there tomorrow
G
but for the work I've taken on,
C Asus4 D A
stokin' the star maker machinary behind the popular songs.
(My inaccurate Instrumental)
Em9....A__..... Em9....A__..... Em9....A__.....
C D F C D G A C D F C D G A
Verse 2:
A bA D
I deal in dreamers and telephone screamers,
G
Lately I wonder what I do it for; if I had my way,
C bA
I'd just walk through those doors, and wan-der,
A
down the Champs Elysees;
D G
going cafe to cabaret, thinking
how I'd feel when I find,
C A
that very good friend of mine__,
Chorus:
A F
I was a free man in Paris,
G
I felt unfettered and alive,
C Asus4 D
There was nobody callin' me up for favours
A
and no-ones future to decide,
F
You know I'd go back there tomorrow
G
but for the work I've taken on,
C Asus4 D A
stokin' the star maker machinary behind the popular songs.
(Outro Chord bit)
A C D F C D G A
