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Big Yellow Taxi (v2) (G Major)
Artist: Joni Mitchell    Genre: Folk-Rock    Tempo: Brisk    Strum Pattern: Island: D – D – D U D U    Roman Numerals: I, II, V    Instrument: Guitar - Standard Tuning [E,A,D,G,B,E]   
Song Notes:  
Joni Mitchell, 1970. YouTube.com: Recording @ YouTube

Brisk 4-beat Island strum: | D – D U – U D U |

Where you see a = in parentheses "(=)", it means that a new measure is starting in the previous chord, but this is how I'm noting it.

Slashes after some chords indicate they share a 4-beat measure: | [G]// (D – D) [D]// (U – U D U) |
Entered by: Cheryl Leon Levy   
▼ Show transpose, instrument, and other display options ▼
G
(G,B,D)
G B D G B G
A
(A,C♯,E)
- A E A C♯ E
D
(D,F♯,A)
- - D A D F♯


Intro
"(=)" means that a new 4-beat measure is starting in the previous chord
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] (=)		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] (=)		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] (=) (=) (=)

Verse 1
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and (=) put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot (=)
With a [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] pink hotel, a		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] boutique, and a		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] swinging hot (=) spot

Chorus 1
"//" after chords indicates they share a 4-beat measure: |(chord)// (D – D) (chord)// (U – U D U)|
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] Don’t it always		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] seem to go that you		 [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] don’t know what you’ve (=)// got ’til it’s		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] // gone
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot–Shooo–
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] –bop–bop–bop–bop, (=) shooo– (=) –bop–bop–bop–bop

Verse 2
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] took all the trees, (=) put ’em in a tree mu–		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] –seum (=)
And they [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] charged the people a		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] dollar and a half just to		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] see ’em (=)

Chorus 2
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] Don’t it always		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] seem to go that you		 [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] don’t know what you’ve (=)// got ’til it’s		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] // gone?
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot–Shooo–
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] –bop–bop–bop–bop, (=) shooo– (=) –bop–bop–bop–bop

Verse 3
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] Hey, farmer, farmer, (=) put away that DeeDee		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] –Tee, now (=)
Give me [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] spots on my apples, but		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] leave me the birds and the		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] bees... (=) please!

Chorus 3
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] Don’t it always		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] seem to go that you		 [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] don’t know what you’ve (=)// got ’til it’s		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] // gone?
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot–Shooo–
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] –bop–bop–bop–bop, (=) shooo– (=) –bop–bop–bop–bop

Verse 4
[GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] Late last night, I (=) heard the screen door		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] slam (=)
And a [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] big yellow taxi		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] took away my old		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] man (=)

Chorus 4
"/–" after chord means just one strum
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] Don’t it always		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] seem to go that you		 [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] don’t know what you’ve (=)// got ’til it’s		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] // gone?
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot–Shooo– (=) –bop–bop–bop, I said
[DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] Don’t it always		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] seem to go that you		 [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] don’t know what you’ve (=)// got ’til it’s		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] /– gone?

Outro
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot–Shooo– (=) –bop–bop–bop–bop
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot–Shooo– (=) –bop–bop–bop–bop
They [GMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison] paved paradise and		 [AMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second] put up a parking		 [DMajor Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth] lot (=)///–
"///–" means three strums and let the last ring
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