Big Yellow Taxi

Mitchell's composition and recording

Mitchell said this about writing the song to journalist Alan McDougall in the early 1970s:

I wrote 'Big Yellow Taxi' on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart... this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song.

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.

In the song's final verse, the political gives way to the personal. Mitchell recounts the departure of her "old man" in the titular "big yellow taxi," which may refer to the old Metro Toronto Police patrol cars, which until 1986 were painted yellow. In many covers the departed one may be interpreted as variously a boyfriend, a husband or a father. The literal interpretation is that he is walking out on the singer by taking a taxi; otherwise it is assumed he is being taken away by the authorities.

Mitchell's original recording was first released as a single and then, as stated above, included on her 1970 album Ladies of the Canyon. A later live version was released in 1975 and reached No. 24 on the U.S. charts. Mitchell's playful closing vocals have made the song one of the most identifiable in her repertoire, still receiving significant airplay in Canada. In 2005, it was voted No. 9 on CBC's list of the top 50 essential Canadian tracks.

In 2007, Joni Mitchell released the album Shine, which includes a newly recorded, rearranged version of the song.

Lyrics variations

There are various slight alterations of the lyrics from different versions. Joni Mitchell's original version runs:

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
Then they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em

whereas in Amy Grant's version, the people are charged "twenty-five bucks," and in Mitchell's own 2007 re-recording, the people are charged "an arm and a leg."

Bob Dylan, instead of singing about the "big yellow taxi" that "took away my old man," sings, "A big yellow bulldozer took away the house and land." Similarly, in Mitchell's live version of the song released on Miles of Aisles in 1974, she sings about "a big yellow tractor" that "pushed around my house, pushed around my land." She then repeats the same verse, but with the original lyrics. While Amy Grant retains the taxi, her final reprise of the line about "paved paradise" reads "steam rolled paradise."

On the Counting Crows's 2002 cover version, lead singer Adam Duritz sings "Late, last night I heard the screen door sway / and a big yellow taxi took my girl away" instead of "Late last night I heard the screen door slam / and a big yellow taxi took away my old man."

Music video

An animated music video of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" was produced by John Wilson of Fine Arts Films as an animated short for the Sonny and Cher TV show in the mid 1970s. The only commercial release of this full-length music video was in the Video Gems home video release on VHS titled John Wilson's Mini Musicals but also released as The All Electric Music Movie. The home video also contains an animated music video of Joni Mitchell's song "Both Sides Now."

Track listings

1. "Big Yellow Taxi" (“Friends” Album Version)
2. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Radio Mix)
3. "Big Yellow Taxi" (N.Y. Cab To Club Mix)
4. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Tribal Dub)
5. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Late Night Club Mix)
6. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Double Espresso NRG Mix)