My Old Man
by Joni Mitchell
My old man
He's a singer in the park
He's a walker in the rain
He's a dancer in the dark
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
My old man
Keeping away my blues
He's my sunshine in the morning
He's my fireworks at the end of the day
He's the warmest chord I ever heard
Play that warm chord, play and stay baby
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
My old man
Keeping away my blues
But when he's gone
Me and them lonesome blues collide
The bed's too big
The frying pan's too wide
Then he comes home
And he takes me in his loving arms
And he tells me all his troubles
And he tells me all my charms
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
No, my old man
Keeping away my blues
But when he's gone
Me and them lonesome blues collide
The bed's too big
The frying pan's too wide
My old man
He's a singer in the park
He's a walker in the rain
He's a dancer in the dark
We don't need no piece of paper
From the city hall
Keeping us tied and true
No, my old man
Keeping away my lonesome blues
© January 18, 1971; Siquomb Pub Corp
Footnotes
Transcriptions of My Old Man
Piano Transcriptions of My Old Man
My Old Man has been recorded by 48 other artists
- Alberstein, Chava (- )
- Arc Iris (from "Foggy Lullaby" - 2018)
- Beddini, Eleanora (from "Doppio Gioco" - 2013)
- Budde, Martin (from "Back Burner" - 2024)
- Casale, Rossana (from "Joni" - 2022)
- Clark, Merideth Kaye (from "Blue" - 2016)
- Colman, Sara (from "Ink On A Pin" - 2021)
- Court And Spark Band (- )
- Diaz, Gabriela (from "Digital Single" - 2019)
- Douglas, Dave (from "Moving Portrait" - 1998)
- Ebsen, Kiki (from "Kiki Ebsen Cool Songs, Vol. 2 - The Music of Joni Mitchell" - 2017)
- Eden, Joanna (from "Joni & Me" - 2016)
- Elixir (from "First Seed Ripening" - 2011)
- Gatchell, Mary (from "The Songs of Joni Mitchell: A Soulful Tribute" - 2017)
- Giulia Galliani MAG Collective (from "Song For Joni" - 2018)
- Hall, Kira (from "Not So Blue: Kira Sings Joni " - 2016)
- Hersch, Fred (from "Let Yourself Go - Live at Jordan" - 1999)
- Jahn, Ariane (- )
- James, Morgan (from "Blue" - 2016)
- Judy Niemack & Wolfgang Köhler (from "Sing Your Song" - 2020)
- Kirke (from "Live Recording" - 1998)
- Lagan, Mandy (from "The Joni Book II" - 2017)
- LRK Trio (- )
- Maggie Hollinbeck & Graham Sobelman (from "Another Shade Of Blue" - 2014)
- Maria Pia De Vito (from "Jazz Italiano Live 2007" - 2007)
- Monika Herzig & Janiece Jaffe (from "Both Sides Of Joni" - 2023)
- Nereide (from "Nereide sings Joni Mitchell" - 2010)
- Noonan, Katie (from "Joni Mitchell's Blue" - 2023)
- Nowosad, Curtis (from "The Skeptic & the Cynic" - 2012)
- Palivela, Bharathi (from "UnderCover, Faultline Studios and Kalx Present: Joni Mitchell's Blue" - 2012)
- Puoane, Tutu (from "The Joni Mitchell Project - Tutu Puoane Sings Joni Mitchell Live" - 2017)
- Redtenbacher's Funkestra (from "The Colours of Joni" - 2023)
- Robin Adler & Mutts of the Planet (from "Joni Mitchell's Blue & Court And Spark - Live At Dizzy's" - 2011)
- Robin, Julia (from "Joni Map" - 2019)
- Sandbloom, Kevin (from "Sandbloom Still Blue" - 2011)
- Shulman, Alec (- 2019)
- Skinner, Lynn (from "Lynnie Sings Joni: Snapshots from the Stage" - 2012)
- Sunaga t experience and J.Lamotta Suzume (from "Re Blue" - 2022)
- Tartalia, Allison (from "Joni Mitchell's Blue: a 40th Anniversary Celebration" - 2012)
- The Butterbean Jazz Quartet (from "The Butterbean Jazz Quartet" - 2009)
- The Joni Mitchell Project (from "Shades of Blue" - 2023)
- The Masters School Jazz Band (from "Joni Mitchell Blue" - 2020)
- Timmer, Inez (from "Baas Giele Taksy" - 2022)
- Tutino, Lorenza (- )
- Wiernik, Barbara (from "Soul of Butterflies" - 2009)
- Wilborn, Steven (from "Revisited" - 2010)
- Zaken, Lian (- 2019)
- Zwi, Savannah (- 2012)
- [more information on recordings by other artists]
Comments:
Log in to make a comment
Gery on :
At her 3 September 1970 concert at the BBC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoKBGotuNhc, Joni introduces this as a song "that isn't really finished ... it needs an extra verse", though without that intro you might not spot the differences from the recorded version. She adds "when I get home late at night, this is a song I really like to sing right now" ... watch her face light up when she sings "my old man ..." to appreciate why.