Going to Paris
Written byJohn Close 1971
This version recorded by Ian Turner in 1977

This song was written very much under the influence of The Incredible String Band.

The black horse material was recorded by Ian Turner in 1977. Ian kept these tapes for years and in 2000 made them into CDs and sent copies over for various old friends, including Sue Malleson, Dave Hall and myself.

Going to Paris - the first truly good song I wrote. I started writing at Xmas 1970 after having struggled for ages to get going on something creative. I was writing bad poetry, I was bashing a guitar, what was to become of me?  Voila, a songwriter was born! The first year I made up 300 seperate ideas for songs, either scraps of lyrics or partial tunes or complete works. The first thing I truly had faith in was "Going To Paris", written in mid-1971.

Well, it's not because I'm bored with England
Oh no, that's not the case
It's just I'd like to give the French girls
A chance to see my face
I'll be walking down beside the Seine
laughing in the pouring rain
I've been thinking 'bout going to Paris
time and again

April in Paris
maybe June or July
I might make it by August
or maybe just by and by

I've been dreaming 'bout the Latin Quarter
and some smoky all-night cafe
and some millionaire banker's daughter
with her head in a wine-soaked haze
she might buy me a bike,
call me Frere Jacques
and drape a bunch of onions over my back
I've been thinking 'bout going to Paris
just for the crack

I'm gonna look really cute
in my latest Paris style
Carrying a copy of Baudelaire
a roll of bread, and a smile

And I'll send you a postcard from Paris
when I'm busking down on the left bank
and a troop of American tourists
are throwing me nickels and francs
And the gendarmes have got nothing better to say
than "Excusez moi, monsieur, mai qu'est que vous faites?"
I've been thinking 'bout going to Paris
to get locked away