Big Yellow Taxi

"Big Yellow Taxi" is a song written, composed, and originally recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in 1970, and originally released on her album Ladies of the Canyon. It was a hit in her native Canada (No. 14) as well as Australia (No. 6) and the UK (No. 11). It only reached No. 67 in the US in 1970, but was later a bigger hit there for her in a live version released in 1974,[3][4] which peaked at No. 24. Charting versions have also been recorded by the Neighborhood (who had the original top US 40 hit with the track in 1970, peaking at No. 29), Maire Brennan, Amy Grant, Bob Dylan, and Counting Crows.

"Big Yellow Taxi"
Side A of 1970 Canadian single
Single by Joni Mitchell
from the album Ladies of the Canyon
B-side	"Woodstock"
Released	April 1970
Recorded	1970
Genre	Folk rock[1] pop folk[2]
Length	2:16
Label	Reprise
Songwriter(s)	Joni Mitchell
Producer(s)	Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell singles chronology
"Big Yellow Taxi" (1970) "Carey" (1971)

Mitchell's composition and recording

Joni Mitchell (pictured in 1974) wrote and recorded the song "Big Yellow Taxi".

In 1996, speaking to journalist Robert Hilburn, Mitchell said this about writing the song:

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.[5]

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.[6]

In the song's final verse, the political gives way to the personal. Mitchell recounts the departure of her "old man" in the eponymous "big yellow taxi", which may refer to the old Metro Toronto Police patrol cars, which until 1986 were painted yellow.[7] 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 1974 (1975 in France and Spain) and reached No. 24 on the U.S. charts. Billboard regarded the live version as "more full of life" than any of the singled Mitchell released in a long time.[8]

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". British musician Wally Whyton also recorded the song in 1971, changing the price to "one pound fifty" as well as changing "people" to "punters".

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 Counting Crows's 2002 cover version, lead singer Adam Duritz sings "took my girl away" in place of "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 television 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, also released as The All Electric Music Movie. The home video also contains an animated music video of Mitchell's song "Both Sides, Now".

Track listing

1. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Radio Mix)
2. "Big Yellow Taxi" ("Friends" Album Version)
3. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Late Night Club Mix)
4. "Big Yellow Taxi" (N.Y. Cab To Club Mix)
5. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Double Espresso NRG Mix)
6. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Tribal Dub)
7. "Big Yellow Taxi" (Original A Cappella with Guitar)

Charts

Chart (1970) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[9] 6 Canada Top Singles (RPM) 14 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 19 UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) 11 US Billboard Hot 100[11] 67 US Billboard Easy Listening[12] 33 Chart (1974–75) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100[11] 24 US Billboard Easy Listening[12] 27 Chart (1996) Peak position US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 39 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[13] Silver 200,000 sales+streaming figures based on certification alone Máire "Moya" Brennan version "Big Yellow Taxi" Single by Máire Brennan from the album Misty Eyed Adventures Released 1993 Label RCA BMG Songwriter(s) Joni Mitchell Producer(s) Calum Malcolm Máire Brennan Máire Brennan singles chronology "Jealous Heart" (1992) "Big Yellow Taxi" (1993) "You're the One" (1995) In 1993, Máire "Moya" Brennan covered the song. Track listing "Big Yellow Taxi" "Days Of The Dancing" "Dream On" Amy Grant version "Big Yellow Taxi" Single by Amy Grant from the album House of Love Released May 1994 Genre Adult contemporary Pop Length 3:01 Label A&M Songwriter(s) Joni Mitchell Producer(s) Keith Thomas Amy Grant singles chronology "Say You'll Be Mine" (1994) "Big Yellow Taxi" (1994) "Oh How the Years Go By" (1995) In 1995, American singer Amy Grant released a cover of "Big Yellow Taxi" to pop and adult contemporary radio in the United States and United Kingdom. The song was the fourth (third in the US) pop radio single from her 1994 album, House of Love. Grant's version featured slightly altered lyrics, which she changed at Joni Mitchell's request.[14] The cover peaked at No. 67 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 25 in Canada, No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, and No. 4 in Iceland. Grant also released a music video for the single, which was aired in the US and UK and released to home video on Grant's Greatest Videos 1986-2004 DVD. Grant also performed the song for her 2006 concert album, Time Again... Amy Grant Live. Track listing "Big Yellow Taxi" (Paradise Mix) "Big Yellow Taxi" (Alternative Paradise Mix) "Big Yellow Taxi" (LP Version) Charts Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15] 25 Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[16] 4 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[17] 67 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[18] 4 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[19] 17 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20] 20 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 67 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 18 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[23] 28 Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[24] 47 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[25] 96 Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton version "Big Yellow Taxi" Single by Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton from the album Hard Candy Released January 14, 2003 Recorded 2002 Genre Pop rock Length 3:47 Label Geffen Songwriter(s) Joni Mitchell Producer(s) Steve Lilywhite Counting Crows singles chronology "Miami" (2002) "Big Yellow Taxi" (2003) "If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)" (2003) In 2002, Counting Crows covered the song with backing vocals by Vanessa Carlton. It was featured on the soundtrack to the film Two Weeks Notice and is the most successful version of the song to date (U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40). The single was certified Gold on 25 October 2004 by the Recording Industry Association of America.[26] Originally, the song was a hidden track on the band's 2002 album Hard Candy, and it did not include Carlton until it was to be featured in the film. New releases of the album included it as a track with her added, as with her in the video (which was shot on Coney Island, Brooklyn, and in nearby Bensonhurst), although Counting Crows and Carlton neither appeared in the video together nor recorded together. This song became the band's only Top 20 single in the UK, peaking at No. 13. This version slightly changed Mitchell's original lyrics to describe when the eponymous taxi "took my girl away", instead of Mitchell's "took away my old man". The original version of the song without Vanessa was included on the album Nolee Mix, which was released to promote the My Scene dolls. The Village Voice named this cover the worst song of the 2000s,[27] and the Village Voice's scathing review of the cover is archived on Joni Mitchell's website.[28] Additionally, NME also included this cover on its list of the worst songs of the 2000s,[29] and Ultimate Classic Rock highlighted this song in its Terrible Classic Rock Covers series.[30] This song has started to get some airplay on a few classic hits stations, notably KFMD in Fayetteville Track listing "Big Yellow Taxi" "Big Yellow Taxi II" "If I Could Give All My Love"/"Richard Manuel Is Dead" (Acoustic / Live) "Hard Candy" (Acoustic / Live) "Big Yellow Taxi" (Multimedia Track) Charts Weekly charts Chart (2003) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[31] 3 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[32] 40 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[33] 33 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[34] 43 Germany (Official German Charts)[35] 67 Ireland (IRMA)[36] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[37] 19 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38] 23 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[39] 4 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[40] 23 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[41] 10 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[42] 55 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 63 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[44] 16 US Billboard Hot 100[45] 42 US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[46] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[47] 5 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[48] 5 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[49] 30 Year-end charts Chart (2003) Position Australia (ARIA)[50] 15 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[51] 93 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[52] 11 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[53] 183 Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[54] Platinum 70,000^^ United States (RIAA)[55] Gold 500,000^^ ^^shipments figures based on certification alone Other cover versions Many other artists have covered the song. A single version by the singing group The Neighborhood reached the Billboard Top 40 chart (No. 29) in the summer of 1970. Joe Dassin "Le Grand Parking" (French Cover) in 1970 from the album Joe Dassin ("La fleur aux dents"). Lindsey Buckingham recorded a cover version for "Joni Mitchell Tribute Compilation", Reprise Records, 1999. The CD album includes several artists. Bob Dylan's cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" was recorded in 1970 and released in 1973 on Dylan. BB Gabor re-interpreted it on his 1980 eponymous album. Pinhead Gunpowder covered the song on their 1992 EP Fahizah. The EP was later used as part of their 1994 album Jump Salty. In 1996, "Big Yellow Taxi (Traffic Jam Mix)" peaked on the U.S. dance charts at No. 39 and was part of the soundtrack album to Friends: Music from the TV Series. (see Joni Mitchell's Singles and External links.) The song is sampled in Janet Jackson’s and Q-Tip's single "Got 'Til It's Gone," from Jackson's 1997 album The Velvet Rope. Big Yellow Taxi also features on German legend Nena’s 2007 cover compilation album Cover Me. Edda Magnason recorded it with Augustifamiljen on an episode of På Spåret in 2012. This song is sampled by Labrinth in the song "Sundown," from his debut 2012 album Electronic Earth.[56] Kelly Rowland re-interpreted this song in the track "Gone," on her 2013 album, Talk a Good Game. Australian vocal group The Idea of North recorded a cover on their 2013 album Smile. South-Korean singer J-Min covered the song for her Japanese debut mini-album, Korogaru Ringo. The song was sampled in Markus Feehily's single "Butterfly", which was released in 2015.[57] A collaborative cover by Amanda Palmer, Zoe Keating, Sean Ono Lennon, and John Cameron Mitchell was released in 2018 Rita Ora released a fully acoustic cover of the original as a Spotify single in April 2019. References Jason Hanley (26 November 2014). We Rock! (Music Lab): A Fun Family Guide for Exploring Rock Music History: From Elvis and the Beatles to Ray Charles and The Ramones, Includes Bios, Historical Context, Extensive Playlists, and Rocking Activities for the Whole Family!. Quarry Books. p. 132. ISBN 978-1-62788-220-0. Madelena Gonzalez (2005). Fiction After the Fatwa: Salman Rushdie and the Charm of Catastrophe. Rodopi. p. 191. ISBN 90-420-1962-X. "Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi 1974 release (photos)". discogs.com. Discog. Retrieved August 14, 2017. "Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi 1974/1975 commercial release (photos)". discogs.com. Discogs. Retrieved August 14, 2017. Hilburn, Robert (December 8, 1996). "Both Sides, Later". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA: Tribune Company. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved May 19, 2012. With the release of two 'best of' albums, Joni Mitchell looks back at her hits--and misses--and the artistry that's earning renewed recognition. Mattison, Shane. "Tree museum". Lyric Glossary. JoniMitchell.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-05-15. "Getting Around". A History of Policing in Toronto. Toronto Police Service. Retrieved 23 July 2011. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. December 14, 1974. p. 66. Retrieved 2020-07-20. "Australian-charts.com – Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi". ARIA Top 50 Singles. "Dutchcharts.nl – Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Bronson, Fred (March 29, 2003). "Chart Beat". Billboard. p. 70. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 166. "British single certifications – Joni Mitchell – Big Yellow Taxi". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 27, 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Big Yellow Taxi in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter. Gubbins, Teresa (September 4, 1994). "Life In The Slow Lane". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL, USA: Tribune Company. ISSN 1085-6706. OCLC 43891617. Retrieved May 19, 2012. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9137." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 6904." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12 no. 27. July 8, 1995. p. 12. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (2.7. '95 – 15.7. '95)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). July 1, 1995. p. 20. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Amy Grant Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Amy Grant Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Amy Grant Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "RPM Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1995". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Árslistinn 1995". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 2, 1996. p. 25. Retrieved May 30, 2020. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA: Counting Crows". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved August 19, 2016. "The 50 Worst Songs of the '00s, F2K No. 1: Counting Crows ft. Vanessa Carlton, "Big Yellow Taxi"". villagevoice.com. 2009-12-22. Archived from the original on 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2020-06-02. http://jonimitchell.com/library/view.cfm?id=2193 Milton, Jamie (2017-10-17). "The 20 worst songs of the '00s". nme.com. Retrieved 2020-06-02. "Counting Crows, "Big Yellow Taxi" – Terrible Classic Rock Covers". ultimateclassicrock.com. 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2020-06-02. "Australian-charts.com – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi". ARIA Top 50 Singles. "Austriancharts.at – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. "Ultratop.be – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21 no. 11. March 8, 2003. p. 11. Retrieved May 13, 2020. "Offiziellecharts.de – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi". GfK Entertainment Charts. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Big Yellow Taxi". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 15, 2018. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 2003" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved September 15, 2018. "Dutchcharts.nl – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. "Charts.nz – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi". Top 40 Singles. "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 21, saptamina 2.06–8.06, 2003" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on February 18, 2005. Retrieved May 13, 2020. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018. "Swedishcharts.com – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi". Singles Top 100. "Swisscharts.com – Counting Crows feat. Vanessa Carlton – Big Yellow Taxi". Swiss Singles Chart. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2018. "Counting Crows Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010. "Counting Crows Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2020. "Counting Crows Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010. "Counting Crows Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010. "Counting Crows Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2010. "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2003". ARIA. Retrieved September 15, 2018. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2003". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 30, 2020. "End of Year Charts 2003". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 13, 2020. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2003" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved September 15, 2018. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2003 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. "American single certifications – Counting Crows – Big Yellow Taxi". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.  "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2012-04-02.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-12. Retrieved 2015-09-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) External links Lyrics for original version at jonimitchell.com Lyrics for 2007 version at jonimitchell.com Traffic Jam Mix / Friends Soundtrack at AllMusic Traffic Jam Mix Chart Position at Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics