Big Yellow Taxi

E43683

"Big Yellow Taxi" is a 1970 folk-pop protest song by Joni Mitchell, best known for its environmental and anti-urban development themes encapsulated in the line “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf single
song
associatedEra early 1970s protest music
associatedMovement environmental movement
composer Joni Mitchell
countryOfOrigin Canada
culturalImpact became an environmental anthem
frequently referenced in discussions of urban sprawl
used in films and television soundtracks
famousLine They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
firstReleaseMedium studio album
genre folk rock
folk-pop
pop
hasChorus They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
hasCoverVersionBy Amy Grant
Bob Dylan
Counting Crows
Janet Jackson
Nena
The Neighborhood
hasMetaphor paradise as unspoiled nature
parking lot as symbol of urban development
includedInAlbum Ladies of the Canyon
language English
lyricist Joni Mitchell
musicalStyle upbeat melody with socially conscious lyrics
notableFor environmental protest lyrics
line They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
originalArtist Joni Mitchell
originalReleaseYear 1970
performer Joni Mitchell
recordingYear 1970
releaseDecade 1970s
subjectMatter cutting down trees for development
environmental loss due to modernization
paving green space for parking lots
theme anti-urban development
commercial development
environmental degradation
environmental protest
environmentalism
loss of nature
urbanization
vocalist Joni Mitchell
writer Joni Mitchell


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