Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell

Version 5 of 5
Capo: Fret 2
Tuning: Open D, D A D F# A D

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Song: Big yellow taxi
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Composer: Joni Mitchell
Album: Ladies of the canyon
Tabbed by DJ ('DiddyD' on ultimateGuitar.com)   6th Mar 2019

NOTE:
Original album version in Open D tuning:
CAPO: 2nd fret (Will then sound in the original recorded key of E)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhxZ8ok3Z2o

Live versions in Open D tuning:
CAPO: 4th fret (Will then sound in the live key of F#)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJIuP7zEVeM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr__rRGWVgI

OPEN D TUNING: D-A-D-F#-A-D
De-tune 6th string DOWN to D
4th and 5th strings remain the same as standard tuning
De-tune 3rd string DOWN to F#
De-tune 2nd string DOWN to A
De-tune 1st string DOWN to D

NOTE: Please IGNORE ANY POP-UP CHORD BOXES the website might automatically suggest
and use the typed shapes shown below:
  = 555555           = 000000        = 054300
 = 575555     = 020100     = 044300
  = 777777      = 030100    = x00100
 = 797777

N.C. = No chord    ^ = Emphasise the beats

A short slide up to the G and A barre chords adds more life to the rhythm.

Please take a second to scroll down to the bottom of the page
and select a star rating for my tab, thanks
====================================================================================

[Intro]
           
| /  /_/  /_/ 

             
 /_/ | /_/ /_/

           
  /  / | /  /_

            
/  /_/  /_/ | 

        
/_/ /_/  /  / 

|
  ^    ^  ^ ^    ^     ^   ^  ^  ^   ^    ^  ^ ^    ^     ^   ^  ^  ^
    
      
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[Verse 1]
            
They paved par

             
adise, put up 

                      
a parking lot,
             
With a pink ho

          
 - tel,  a  bo

        
utique,
         
And a swingin'

    
------------..

      
.hot      spot

    
!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
         
That you don't

/            
 know what you

             
've got 'til i

        
t's    gone?  

         
They paved par

       
a - dise,...

           
...put up a pa

                     
rk - ing lot!
              

        (Shoo-

------------, 

 bop,     bop,

 bop,    bop!)

    
(Shoo---------

   
----,  bop,   

      
  bop, bop,   

  
  bop!)

[Verse 2]
            
They took all 

           
the trees, put

            
 'em in a tree

           
 mu -seum,
            
And they charg

            
ed the people.


..
             
...A dollar an

           
d a half just 

       
to see 'em----

    
--------------

    
----!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
         
That you don't

/            
 know what you

             
've got 'til i

        
t's    gone?  

         
They paved par

       
a - dise,...

           
...put up a pa

                     
rk - ing lot!
              

        (Shoo-

------------, 

 bop,     bop,

 bop,    bop!)

    
(Shoo---------

   
----,  bop,   

      
  bop, bop,   

  
  bop!)

[Verse 3]
            
Hey, farmer, f

            
armer, put awa

           
y the D. D. T.

         
 now,
            
Give me spots 

            
on my apples,
             
But leave me t

           
he birds and t

      
he bees-------

 
--------------

        
-, ...please--

/  
-----!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
         
That you don't

/            
 know what you

             
've got 'til i

        
t's    gone?  

         
They paved par

       
a - dise,...

           
...put up a pa

                     
rk - ing lot!
              

        (Shoo-

------------, 

 bop,     bop,

 bop,    bop!)

    
(Shoo---------

   
----,  bop,   

      
  bop, bop,   

  
  bop!)

[Verse 4]
           
Late last nigh

             
t, I heard the

          
 screen door s

            
lam------,
            
And a big yell

          
ow taxi  ...to

           
ok away my old

     
 man----------

  
--------------

      
!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
         
That you don't

/            
 know what you

             
've got 'til i

        
t's    gone?  

         
They paved par

       
a - dise,...

           
...put up a pa

                     
rk - ing lot!
              

        (Shoo-

------------, 

 bop,     bop,

 bop,    bop!)

[Coda]
            
I said, don't 

          
it always seem


 to go...
         
That you don't

/            
 know what you

             
've got 'til i

 
t's   gone?...

         
They paved par

          
a -dise,...put

           
 up a park - i

         
ng lot!
              

              

              

  (Shoo-------

----,  bop, bo

p, bop, bop!)

            
They paved par

          
a -dise,...put

           
 up a park - i

         
ng lot!
              

              

              

   (Shoo------

-----,  bop, b

op, bop, bop!)

            
They paved par

          
a -dise ,...pu

            
t up a park - 

         
ing lot!

=====================================================================================

Song: Big yellow taxi (Live in Open E tuning)
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Composer: Joni Mitchell
Live performance Wembley Arena, 24th April 1983
Tabbed by DJ ('DiddyD' on ultimateGuitar.com)   6th Mar 2019

Live version in Open E tuning-
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=-FOqJq2GK_4

NOTE:
Same basic chord shapes as original album version, (which was in Open D tuning),
but this version requires no capo to sound in E and only 3 strings retuned from
standard tuning instead of 4 strings for the open D tuning.

The arrangement of the intro and coda are different to the original album version,
and there is an additional verse.

She varies the way she plays the original main riff, sometimes she skips the
progression on the 5th string and alternates between the open E and Aadd9/E instead,
so just take your own choice. 

OPEN E TUNING: E-B-E-G#-B-E
6th string remains the same as standard tuning
Tune 5th string UP to B
Tune 4th string UP to E
Tune 3rd string UP to G#
1st and 2nd strings remain the same as standard tuning

NOTE:  Please IGNORE ANY POP-UP CHORD BOXES the website might automatically suggest
and use the typed shapes shown below:
       = 000000    = 555555      = 777777       = 054300
 = 020100    = 575555    = 797777    = 044300
  = 030100

N.C. = No chords   ^ = Emphasise the beats

Please select a star rating for this tab, many thanks

=====================================================================================

[Intro]
      
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/     /    /  

/
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/            
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   /    /  |

      
|  /    /     

     
/    /    |  /

       
__/  /__/   / 

  /  |
                           ^  ^     ^   ^

[Verse 1]
            
They paved par

           
a - dise, put 

           
up a park -ing

             
 lot,
             
With a pink ho

           
 - tel,   ...a

          
 boutique,
            
And a swingin'

   
--------      

      
   ...hot spot

!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
       
      ...You d

              
on't know what

              
 you've got 't

        
il it's gone?
         
They paved par

           
a - dise,   ..

           
.put up a park

      
 - ing lot!

      
|  /     /    

      
 /     /   |  

     
/    /     /  


  /   |
 
      
|  /    /     

     
/    /    |  /

       
__/  /__/   / 

  /  |
                           ^  ^     ^   ^
[Verse 2]
            
They took all 

           
the trees, put

            
 'em in a tree

            
 mu -seum,
            
And they charg

            
ed all the peo

     
ple...
             
...A dollar an

           
d a half just 

               
to see 'em!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
       
      ...You d

              
on't know what

              
 you've got 't

        
il it's gone?
         
They paved par

           
a - dise,  ...

           
put up a park 

     
- ing lot!

      
|  /     /    

     
 /     /   |  

     
/    /     /  


  /   |

      
|  /    /     

     
/    /    |  /

       
__/  /__/   / 

  /  |
                           ^  ^     ^   ^

[Verse 3]
            
Hey, farmer, f

            
armer,   ...pu

            
t away the D. 

              
D. T. now,
            
Give me spots 

            
on my apples, 
             
But ...leave m

           
e the birds an

        
d the bees,   

/         
 ...please!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
       
      ...You d

              
on't know what

              
 you've got 't

        
il it's gone?
         
They paved par

           
a - dise,     

           
...put up a pa

        
rk - ing lot!

      
|  /     /    

     
 /     /   |  

     
/    /     /  


  /   |

      
|  /    /     

     
/    /    |  /

       
__/  /__/   / 

  /  |
                           ^  ^     ^   ^

[Verse 4]
           
Late last nigh

             
t, I heard tha

           
t screen door 

             
slam,
            
And a big yell

            
ow tractor com

             
e and took dow

           
n my house,
             
    Pushed a -

   
 round--------

   
-   my      la

nd!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
       
         You d

              
on't know what

              
 you've got 't

        
il it's gone?
         
They paved par

           
a - dise,     

            
 ...put up a p

        
ark - ing lot!

      
|  /     /    

     
 /     /   |  

     
/    /     /  


  /   |

      
|  /    /     

     
/    /    |  /

       
__/  /__/   / 

  /  |
                           ^  ^     ^   ^
[Verse 5]
           
Late last nigh

             
t, I heard tha

           
t screen door 

               
slam a - gain,
            
And a big yell

           
ow taxi...come

             
 and took away

       
 my old man---

  
----------    

   
       ...a - 

  
gain!

[Chorus]
            
Don't it alway

  
s seem to go..

.
       
      ...You d

              
on't know what

              
 you've got 't

        
il it's gone?
         
They paved par

          
a - dise,    .

            
..put up a par

                 
k - ing lot!

[Coda]
             
They paved par

           
a - dise,     

            
 ...put up a p

     
ark - ing...
       
Oh,  oo-oo, oo

        
,  they come a

             
nd they put up

           
 a parking lot

,
         
    Oo---, oo-

          
oo-oo, they co

         
me and they pu

              
t up a parking

 
 lot!

      
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  /    /     /

  
    /    |

      
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