Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell

"Big Yellow Taxi" is a song written and originally recorded by Joni Mitchell in 1970.The song is known for its environmental concern -- "They paved paradise to put up a parking lot" and "Hey farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now" -- and sentimental sound. The line "They took all the trees, and put 'em in a tree museum / And charged the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em." refers to Foster Botanical Garden in downtown Honolulu, which is a living museum of tropical plants, some rare and endangered. Big Yellow Taxi - - - 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 til it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum And they charged all the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got til it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot Hey farmer, farmer, put away that DDT 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 til it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot Late last night the screen door slam And a big yellow taxi took away my old man away Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got til 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 til it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot They paved paradise and put up a parking lot (3x)