Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell 

Joni Mitchell writes and performs her own songs. Her music has folk, pop, rock and jazz influences in it. Her songs are often about social or environmental issues as well as her feelings about romance, confusion, sadness and joy.  

This is a song about the way the world is changing: the environment is being destroyed and the beauty of the world is lost. Joni said of the song -   

"I wrote 'Big Yellow Taxi' on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart ... That's when I sat down and wrote the song."