Big Yellow Taxi is a 1970 folk rock song written and originally recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. It appeared on her third album, Ladies of the Canyon, and was released as a single by Reprise Records in April 1970. The tune blends folk and pop elements and is famous for its environmental critique, including the lines They paved paradise to put up a parking lot and Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Inspired by Mitchell’s trip to Hawaii, it laments development and the loss of natural beauty, while the final verse uses the image of a big yellow taxi to mark a personal departure. The studio version charted in several countries, reaching No 15 in Canada, No 6 in Australia, and No 11 in the UK, with a US peak of No 67; a later live version from Miles of Aisles (1974) reached No 24 in the US. The song has been covered by Amy Grant in 1995 and Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton in 2002, among many other renditions, and has continued to be associated with environmental and anti-commercialization themes.
Key facts:
- Original artist and year: Joni Mitchell, 1970
- Album: Ladies of the Canyon
- Genre: Folk rock, with pop and folk influences
- Notable lines: They paved paradise to put up a parking lot; Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone
- Notable covers: Amy Grant (1995), Counting Crows with Vanessa Carlton (2002)
- Notable chart info: Canada No 15, Australia No 6, UK No 11, US No 67 (studio); US No 24 (live 1974)
