Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell cover)

Bob Dylan

They pave paradise, they put up a parking lot
A pink hotel, a boutique and a swinging hot spot
Don't it always go to show
You never know what you got till it's gone?
They paved paradise, they put up a parking lot.

They took all the trees, they put them in a tree museum
They charged the people a dollar and a half just to see them
Don't it always go to show
You never know what you got till it's gone?
They paved paradise, they put up a parking lot.

Hey farmer, farmer, put away the D.D.T
Give me spots on my apples but leave the birds and the bees, please
Don't it always go to show
You never know what you got till it's gone?
They paved paradise, they put up a parking lot.

Late last night I heard my screen door slam
A big yellow bulldozer took away the house and land
Don't it always go to show
You never know what you got till it's gone?
They paved paradise, they put up a parking lot.


Lyrics submitted by Philadelphia Eagles, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Big Yellow Taxi Lyrics as written by Joni Mitchell

Lyrics © Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC

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Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell cover) song meanings
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11 Comments

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  • 0
    General CommentDidn't Joni Mitchell write this song?
    Morbror Pon July 16, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Commentyeah Joni Mitchell wrote it
    savethetrees890on September 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Commentunless Dylan changed the lyrics when he did it, they are wrong. How did big yellow bulldozer get into the song if its called "Big Yellow Taxi" ?
    savethetrees890on September 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Commentyeah...dylan definitely didn't write this.
    untitledTRAO3450on March 31, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Commentyeah sure it seems like the lyrics r wrong compared to the original. but thats how dylan sings it in his. personally i prefer his lyrics.
    fight_the_waron April 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentCounting crows re did it i like it a lot its very pretty n the poetry is good!
    beautifulmusicon November 23, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThey called Joni Mitchell the female Bob Dylan
    Joni Mitchell said I don't think anyone calls Bob Dylan the male Joni Mitchell
    nigelmustaphaon December 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentMitchell wrote it, and Dylan Rewrote it and released it in '73 on DYLAN.

    I love them both.
    S0LIPSISTon March 16, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentJoni apparently likes Bob's verse too... in all her performances of the song after Dylan's version came out, she sings the original "a big yellow taxi took away my old man" verse, and then she sings one that says "a big yellow tractor took away my house, it took away my land." There's even one performance on YouTube (from her "Painting with Words and Music" DVD) where she says "Bob Dylan wrote this verse" and then sings it in a comical nasally Dylan voice.
    lastoftherockstarson May 20, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI have no input on the song.

    However, I just wanted to add, you know it is a good song if BOB DYLAN covers it!
    008Foxon April 29, 2010   Link

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