For 2/18/18 ~ Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell

I always say I am an 80s baby but before that I was a 70s rocker.  What passed for rock back in the day is a far cry from today.  Yet folksy/bluesy/rock is how we got to where we are now.  Joni sure fits the bill.

I did not remember who wrote Big Yellow Taxi at first.  Instead I was combing through Sweet Baby James and Jim Croce.  Now I am strolling down memory lane with other unrelated tunes to Earth.  That’s why Song Lyric Sunday has become a habit for me.  Thank you Helen.

What amazes me is consistency of topic … 48 years later we still debate the same issues. Here are the lyrics:

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
And they charged all the people
A dollar and a half to see ’em
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And they put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer
Put away that D.D.T. now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
‘Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And 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
They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot

Writer/s: JONI MITCHELL
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Now for the video.  That gorgeous smile juxtaposed to those words:

Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.

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As always, more to come.