Big Yellow Taxi

Infobox Single |
Name = Big Yellow Taxi


Artist = Joni Mitchell
from Album = Ladies of the Canyon
B-side =
Released = 1970
Format = 7"
Recorded = 1970
Genre = Folk rock
Length = 2:17
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Writer = Joni Mitchell
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = -
This single = "Big Yellow Taxi" (1970)
Next single = "Carey" (1971)Infobox Single
Name = Big Yellow Taxi


Artist = Amy Grant
from Album = House of Love
Released = 1994
Format = Cassette single, CD single
Recorded =
Genre = Adult Contemporary, Pop
Length = 4:04
Label = A&M Records
Writer = Joni Mitchell
Producer = Keith Thomas
Certification =
Last single = "Say You'll Be Mine" (1994)
This single = "Big Yellow Taxi" (1995)
Next single = "Oh How the Years Go By" (1995)Infobox Single
Name = Big Yellow Taxi


Artist = Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton
from Album = Hard Candy
Released = 2003
Format = CD single
Recorded = 2002
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:47
Label = Geffen
Writer = Joni Mitchell
Producer = Steve Lilywhite
Chronology = Counting Crows singles
Last single = "Miami"
(2002)
This single = "Big Yellow Taxi"
(2003)
Next single = "If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel Is Dead)"
(2003)"Big Yellow Taxi" is a song originally written and 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 1970's:

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. [cite web | last = Mattison | first = Shane | title = Tree museum | work = Lyric Glossary | publisher = JoniMitchell.com | url = http://www.jonimitchell.com/research/g_entry.cfm?id=42 | accessdate = 2008-05-15]

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 .

In 2007, Joni Mitchell released the album "Shine", which includes a re-work of the song.

Cover versions

Many other artists have covered the song, including Amy Grant, Melanie (Melanie Safka), Counting Crows with and without Vanessa Carlton, Sandi Thom, Kaya, Pinhead Gunpowder, Paul Tillotson, Moya Brennan, Keb Mo, Chris Thomas King, Keren Ann, the acappella quintet Toxic Audio, and Bob Dylan.

1970s

Bob Dylan slightly rewrote the lyrics on the album "Dylan", released in 1973.

A single version by the singing group The Neighborhood reached the Billboard Top 40 chart (#29) in the summer of 1970.

1980s

The opening track "Lies (through the 80's)" on the 1980 album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, "Chance" includes the lyric and melody for the well-known line in this song, "Paved paradise to put up a parking lot".

The song's title is referenced by Janet Jackson in her single "The Pleasure Principle," from Jackson's 1986 album "Control". It is also sampled in Jackson and Q-Tip's single "Got 'Til It's Gone," from Jackson's 1997 album "The Velvet Rope".

1990s

In 1995, 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 pop radio single off of her "House of Love" album (the third in the U.S.). Grant's version featured slightly altered lyrics, which she changed at Joni Mitchell's request. The single peaked at #67 on The Billboard Hot 100, #18 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and at #20 in the U.K. Grant also released a music video for the single, which was aired in the U.S. and U.K. and released to home video on Grant's "Greatest Videos 1986-2004" DVD.

In 1996 a "Big Yellow Taxi (Traffic Jam Mix)" peaked on the U.S. dance charts at #39 and was part of the "Friends: Music from the TV Series" soundtrack album (see Joni Mitchell#Singles and External links).

The song was also performed as part of the finale during the 1997 Lilith Fair tour with the Indigo Girls, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan and Meredith Brooks.

2000s

Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton (on back-up vocals) cover of the song is featured on the soundtrack to the movie "Two Weeks Notice". Originally the song was a hidden track on the band's 2002 album "Hard Candy" and did not include Vanessa Carlton until it was to be featured in the movie. New releases of the album included it as a track with her added, as with her in the video, although Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton did not appear in the video together nor record together. This song became the band's only Top 20 single in the UK, peaking at #13.

Charts

Joni Mitchell version

References

External links

* [http://jonimitchell.com/musician/ Joni Mitchell]
* [http://jonimitchell.com/musician/song.cfm?id=BigYellowTaxi Lyrics for original version] at jonimitchell.com
* [http://jonimitchell.com/musician/song.cfm?id=BigYellowTaxi2007 Lyrics for 2007 version] at jonimitchell.com
* [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vdjp7i5og75r~T2 Traffic Jam Mix / Friends Soundtrack] at allmusic
* [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5222&model.vnuAlbumId=556373 Traffic Jam Mix Chart Position] at Billboard Hot Dance Club Play