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 4-beat measure is starting, in the previous chord.
Slashes after some chords indicate they share a 4-beat measure: | [G]// (D – D) [D]// (U – U D U) |
Entered by:
Cheryl Leon Levy
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 repeat the previous chord (treat it as a written chord name; 4 beats per chord)
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
(%)
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
(%)
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
(%) (%) (%)
Verse 1
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and (%) put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot (%)
With a
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
pink hotel, a
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
boutique, and a
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
swinging hot (%) spot
Chorus 1
"//" means that chord only gets 2 beats
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Don’t it always
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
seem to go that you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
don’t know what you’ve (%)// got ’til it’s
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
// gone
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot–Shooo–
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
–bop–bop–bop–bop, (%) shooo– (%) –bop–bop–bop–bop
Verse 2
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
took all the trees, (%) put ’em in a tree mu–
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
–seum (%)
And they
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
charged the people a
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
dollar and a half just to
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
see ’em (%)
Chorus 2
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Don’t it always
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
seem to go that you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
don’t know what you’ve (%)// got ’til it’s
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
// gone?
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot–Shooo–
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
–bop–bop–bop–bop, (%) shooo– (%) –bop–bop–bop–bop
Verse 3
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Hey, farmer, farmer, (%) put away that DeeDee
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
–Tee, now (%)
Give me
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
spots on my apples, but
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
leave me the birds and the
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
bees... (%) please!
Chorus 3
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Don’t it always
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
seem to go that you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
don’t know what you’ve (%)// got ’til it’s
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
// gone?
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot–Shooo–
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
–bop–bop–bop–bop, (%) shooo– (%) –bop–bop–bop–bop
Verse 4
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Late last night, I (%) heard the screen door
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
slam (%)
And a
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
big yellow taxi
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
took away my old
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
man (%)
Chorus 4
"/–" means that chord just gets one strum; held for 2 beats
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Don’t it always
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
seem to go that you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
don’t know what you’ve (%)// got ’til it’s
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
// gone?
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot–Shooo– (%) –bop–bop–bop, I said
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Don’t it always
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
seem to go that you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
don’t know what you’ve (%)// got ’til it’s
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
/– gone?
Outro
"///–" means three strums and let the last ring
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot–Shooo– (%) –bop–bop–bop–bop
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot–Shooo– (%) –bop–bop–bop–bop
They
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
paved paradise and
[
A
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Major Second
]
put up a parking
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
lot (%)///–
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