Big Yellow Taxi - Music
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Artist Biography For Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell Is A Canadian-American Singer And Songwriter. Drawing From Folk Pop Rock Classical And Jazz Mitchell's Songs Often Reflect On Social And Philosophical Ideals As Well As Her Feelings About Romance Womanhood Disillusionment And Joy. She Has Received Many Accolades Including Ten Grammy Awards And Induction Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In 1997. Rolling Stone Called Her "one Of The Greatest Songwriters Ever" And AllMusic Has Stated "When The Dust Settles Joni Mitchell May Stand As The Most Important And Influential Female Recording Artist Of The Late 20th Century". Mitchell Began Singing In Small Nightclubs In Saskatoon Saskatchewan And Throughout Western Canada Before Moving On To The Nightclubs Of Toronto Ontario. She Moved To The United States And Began Touring In 1965. Some Of Her Original Songs "Urge For Going" "Chelsea Morning" "Both Sides Now" "The Circle Game" Were Recorded By Other Folk Singers Allowing Her To Sign With Reprise Records And Record Her Debut Album Song To A Seagull In 1968. Settling In Southern California Mitchell Helped Define An Era And A Generation With Popular Songs Like "Big Yellow Taxi" And "Woodstock". Her 1971 Album Blue Is Often Cited As One Of The Best Albums Of All Time It Was Rated The 30th Best Album Ever Made In Rolling Stone's 2003 List Of The "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" Rising To Number 3 In The 2020 Edition. In 2000 The New York Times Chose Blue As One Of The 25 Albums That Represented "turning Points And Pinnacles In 20th-Century Popular Music". NPR Ranked Blue Number 1 On A 2017 List Of Greatest Albums Made By Women. Mitchell Switched Labels And Began Exploring More Jazz-Influenced Melodic Ideas By Way Of Lush Pop Textures On 1974's Court And Spark Which Featured The Radio Hits "Help Me" And "Free Man In Paris" And Became Her Best-Selling Album. Mitchell's Vocal Range Began To Shift From Mezzo-Soprano To More Of A Wide-Ranging Contralto Around 1975. Her Distinctive Piano And Open-Tuned Guitar Compositions Also Grew More Harmonically And Rhythmically Complex As She Melded Jazz With Rock And Roll R&B Classical Music And Non-Western Beats. In The Late 1970s She Began Working With Noted Jazz Musicians Including Jaco Pastorius Wayne Shorter Herbie Hancock And Pat Metheny As Well As Charles Mingus Who Asked Her To Collaborate On His Final Recordings. She Later Turned To Pop And Electronic Music And Engaged In Political Protest. She Was Awarded A Lifetime Achievement Award At The 44th Annual Grammy Awards In 2002 And Became A Kennedy Center Honoree In 2021. Mitchell Produced Or Co-Produced Most Of Her Albums. A Critic Of The Music Industry She Quit Touring And Released Her 17th And Last Album Of Original Songs In 2007. Mitchell Has Designed Most Of Her Own Album Covers Describing Herself As A "painter Derailed By Circumstance".
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Big Yellow Taxi
Joni-Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon
"Big Yellow Taxi" Is A Song Written And Originally Performed By Joni Mitchell. Mitchell Got The Idea For The Song During A Visit To Hawaii. She Looked Out Of Her Hotel Window At The Spectacular Pacific Mountain Scenery And Then Down To A Parking Lot. Joni 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 Statement From The Lyrics "Paved Paradise To Put Up A Parking Lot" "Hey Farmer Farmer Put Away That DDT Now" And Sentimental Sound. The Line "Took All The Trees 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" Referring To The Old Toronto Police Service Patrol Cars That 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. The Song Was First Put Out As A Single And Then Was Put On The Album Ladies Of The Canyon In 1970 A Later Live Version Was Released In 1975 And Reached #24 On The U.S. Charts. Mitchell's Playful Closing Lyrics Has Made The Song The Most Identifiable In Her Repertoire Still Receiving Significant Airplay In Canada. In 2005 It Was Voted #9 On CBC's List Of The Top 50 Essential Canadian Tracks. In 2007 Joni Mitchell Released The Album Shine Which Includes A Re-Work Of The Song.
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Biography - Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell Is A Canadian-American Singer And Songwriter. Drawing From Folk Pop Rock Classical And Jazz Mitchell's Songs Often Reflect On Social And Philosophical Ideals As Well As Her Feelings About Romance Womanhood Disillusionment And Joy. She Has Received Many Accolades Including Ten Grammy Awards And Induction Into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In 1997. Rolling Stone Called Her "one Of The Greatest Songwriters Ever" And AllMusic Has Stated "When The Dust Settles Joni Mitchell May Stand As The Most Important And Influential Female Recording Artist Of The Late 20th Century". Mitchell Began Singing In Small Nightclubs In Saskatoon Saskatchewan And Throughout Western Canada Before Moving On To The Nightclubs Of Toronto Ontario. She Moved To The United States And Began Touring In 1965. Some Of Her Original Songs "Urge For Going" "Chelsea Morning" "Both Sides Now" "The Circle Game" Were Recorded By Other Folk Singers Allowing Her To Sign With Reprise Records And Record Her Debut Album Song To A Seagull In 1968. Settling In Southern California Mitchell Helped Define An Era And A Generation With Popular Songs Like "Big Yellow Taxi" And "Woodstock". Her 1971 Album Blue Is Often Cited As One Of The Best Albums Of All Time It Was Rated The 30th Best Album Ever Made In Rolling Stone's 2003 List Of The "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time" Rising To Number 3 In The 2020 Edition. In 2000 The New York Times Chose Blue As One Of The 25 Albums That Represented "turning Points And Pinnacles In 20th-Century Popular Music". NPR Ranked Blue Number 1 On A 2017 List Of Greatest Albums Made By Women. Mitchell Switched Labels And Began Exploring More Jazz-Influenced Melodic Ideas By Way Of Lush Pop Textures On 1974's Court And Spark Which Featured The Radio Hits "Help Me" And "Free Man In Paris" And Became Her Best-Selling Album. Mitchell's Vocal Range Began To Shift From Mezzo-Soprano To More Of A Wide-Ranging Contralto Around 1975. Her Distinctive Piano And Open-Tuned Guitar Compositions Also Grew More Harmonically And Rhythmically Complex As She Melded Jazz With Rock And Roll R&B Classical Music And Non-Western Beats. In The Late 1970s She Began Working With Noted Jazz Musicians Including Jaco Pastorius Wayne Shorter Herbie Hancock And Pat Metheny As Well As Charles Mingus Who Asked Her To Collaborate On His Final Recordings. She Later Turned To Pop And Electronic Music And Engaged In Political Protest. She Was Awarded A Lifetime Achievement Award At The 44th Annual Grammy Awards In 2002 And Became A Kennedy Center Honoree In 2021. Mitchell Produced Or Co-Produced Most Of Her Albums. A Critic Of The Music Industry She Quit Touring And Released Her 17th And Last Album Of Original Songs In 2007. Mitchell Has Designed Most Of Her Own Album Covers Describing Herself As A "painter Derailed By Circumstance".
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"Big Yellow Taxi" is a song written and originally performed by Joni Mitchell.
Mitchell got the idea for the song during a visit to Hawaii. She looked out of her hotel window at the spectacular Pacific mountain scenery, and then down to a parking lot.
Joni 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 statement (from the lyrics "Paved paradise to put up a parking lot", "Hey farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now") and sentimental sound. The line, "Took all the trees, 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", referring to the old Toronto Police Service patrol cars that 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.
The song was first put out as a single and then was put on the album Ladies of the Canyon in 1970; a later live version was released in 1975 and reached #24 on the U.S. charts. Mitchell's playful closing lyrics has made the song the most identifiable in her repertoire, still receiving significant airplay in Canada. In 2005, it was voted #9 on CBC's list of the top 50 essential Canadian tracks.
In 2007, Joni Mitchell released the album Shine, which includes a re-work of the song. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.