‘Free Man in Paris’: The classic song Joni Mitchell wrote about David Geffen
Joni Mitchell is one of those songwriters who could seemingly turn any story or life event into a timeless hit single. Throughout her discography, the Canadian folk singer has drawn upon many different avenues of inspiration, but a recurring subject of her work is the music industry itself and the various figures that Mitchell encountered on her journey to the top of the North American folk scene during the 1960s and 1970s.
Men have always been a common theme within Mitchell’s discography, with the songwriter regularly drawing inspiration from the people she encountered in day-to-day life. Some of the men she wrote about had been lovers, some had been friends, and some were merely acquaintances that sparked some degree of inspiration or intrigue in the mind of the songwriter. One such man was David Geffen, a leading music industry executive and close personal friend of Mitchell’s, who went on to inspire one of her most popular tracks.
The mid-1970s formed a pivotal moment in Mitchell’s career; gone were the days of youth rebellion and the 1960s folk revival. In order to stay afloat, Mitchell was forced to adapt her sound and develop her songwriting, which she did with effortless grace. Her 1974 album Court and Spark signified a new era for the music of Joni Mitchell, and it afforded her a commendable level of commercial success in return. On that album, the song ‘Free Man in Paris’ is an irrefutable highlight.
Although the song’s lyrics do not mention him by name, Mitchell had been inspired to write the song by David Geffen. Having been friends for many years, going back to the 1960s, Geffen and Mitchell often confided in each other about the pressures and issues they were facing within their respective careers. As a record executive, Geffen would usually fill Mitchell in on the intense pressures that come with being a prominent figure in the record business. In turn, Mitchell would often discuss the difficulties of being on the receiving end of the music industry, too.
‘Free Man in Paris’ first came about when Geffen and Mitchell took a trip to Paris together, alongside friends Robbie and Dominique Robertson. As the song’s title suggests, Mitchell was inspired by the fact that Geffen was free from the pressures of the music industry while on holiday in the French capital.
Featuring guest vocals from Graham Nash and David Crosby, who were also close friends of both Geffen and Mitchell, the song is largely told from Geffen’s perspective, as he details the mounting pressure of his career before recalling, “I was a free man in Paris, I felt unfettered and alive. There was nobody calling me up for favours and no one’s future to decide.”
Although Mitchell was aware of the pressures faced by executives like Geffen, she also knew how it felt to be on the other end of proceedings; to have your future decided by somebody who you have probably never met or even heard of. These complexities helped to add a new layer of inspiration and emotion to the track, culminating in a groundbreaking performance by Mitchell.
Ironically, given that the song was directly inspired by himself, Geffen didn’t seem to think that ‘Free Man in Paris’ had much potential to be a hit for Mitchell. However, after some convincing, he agreed to release the song as the second single from Court and Spark. In turn, the song reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the songwriter’s best-loved hits.
