When she said she would stay for another hour-- she looks up and into the audience as if to search for a response. I think if they had said " Bravo" she really would have stayed despite her tired voice. The audience looks anemic--really oblivious to the what they are witnessing. A super talent..and then maybe not.
Something Joni fails to mention in the song is that the parking lot would actually have alleviated traffic congestion on the outskirts of Paradise, something which Joni singularly fails to point out, perhaps because it doesn't quite fit in with her blinkered view of the world. Nevertheless, nice song.
It irritates me that modern music artists don't even bother trying to come up with songs as good as this anymore. There was more musical integrity in the '60s and '70s. You had to have great songs, because your competition was producing timeless stuff-- Badfinger, Jim Croce, Bill Withers, Carole King, the Guess Who, Cat Stevens. In comparison, today's music sounds shallow, mediocre, hook-less. It's more of a performance spectacle now, a fashion show with dancing.
Hippies are so awseome!!! Excactly why dont people always like them? I mean, what isnt to like? I mean they're all for peace, art, love and environmentalism. Where could you go wrong?
@MythicDude It's the big machine that doesn't like us. Some people would not be rich if there were more hippies so they put us down verbally and physically.
Now adays, It's about looks, and knowing the right people. No offense but she wasn't the most beautiful person.. But damn.. that's talent. What happened to it all.. Now, everyone is so greedy the music industry is raping TRUE music and ripping out its soul..
Wow, a serious, challenging message but put so sweetly. Songs like this are far more enlightening than protest music that's haughty and smug. God bless you, Joni Mitchell.
what makes you thinking that? according to the haircuts in the audience, the relative young look of Joni Mitchell and also the decoration in the studio, the video was very likely made in the early 70ies. However, Phillip Symore Hoffmann was born in 1967; therefore he would have been six years old (in 1973).
If i were to interview Joni, I would ask was the big yellow taxi a police car? was your old man your father or husband? Where and when did you write this song? Was Rachel Carson known to you then? What inspired these lyrics and melody? Love and Freedom, Frank
" 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... this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song."
what a voice! Plus she looks like one of my friends {:o) Now if some of the artist nowadays would put away the overly synthesized voices more people would love music again
@johnSaffire You got old. ;) Seriously, though, every generation has its own random ideas of what it means to be cool, so as times inevitably change, the coolness that we're used to is replaced by some younger generation's different ideas of coolness.
@johnSaffire Some of us are still around - the cool ones. These type of cool people aren't as popular. MTV happened; more superficial appearances happened; more money in the music industry happened; the advent of digitized music happened. I guess some other stuff happened...
Normally, her voice is very rich and very folksy. Hey give her a big "E" for effort anyway. Remember this by a group called Neighborhood? Same year...1970.
Can we like rewind to 1970 right now....please.....
ShamusArt 2 weeks ago
If thats not Peter Green in the audience I`ll eat my hat !
johncoxy2112 1 month ago
Wow :)
EversoleKid 1 month ago
When she said she would stay for another hour-- she looks up and into the audience as if to search for a response. I think if they had said " Bravo" she really would have stayed despite her tired voice. The audience looks anemic--really oblivious to the what they are witnessing. A super talent..and then maybe not.
THEJET52 2 months ago
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Something Joni fails to mention in the song is that the parking lot would actually have alleviated traffic congestion on the outskirts of Paradise, something which Joni singularly fails to point out, perhaps because it doesn't quite fit in with her blinkered view of the world. Nevertheless, nice song.
ufewl 4 months ago
SSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hap1951 4 months ago
@hap1951 Thanks!
EversoleKid 1 month ago
what a beautiful voice
pedrocollares 5 months ago 2
who came here to see people clap? anyone? just go straight to the music!!!! oh yeAA
Juands10 5 months ago
Forget the X-factors ... got talent ... idol - you can't beat simplicity, profound lyrics, and natural class
Billy5ive 5 months ago
she is going old duh! her voice sounds nt tht good
vtalwar21 5 months ago
this lady could teach today,s so called pop stars(Adele excluded) how to be a truly great singer and and performer
xmcyclops 5 months ago
Isn't it horny when she lowers her voice before the end? still makes me shiver after all these years.
ZXC5000 7 months ago
This is why it's good to be alive
heyman29323 7 months ago
One word for this performance. Adorable. Absolutely adorable woman.
deserteagle421 7 months ago
this is what will happen if the tea party gets what they want...
LISTEN UP PEOPLE!!!
stevenewman 8 months ago
She sings like a beautiful bird, I can't believe it, she's wonderful !
squirtjosie7 8 months ago
This is wonderful!
TheTHINNERALBUM 9 months ago
Sure she was a bit odd, but she was original! Much more than I can say for anything that gets released nowadays!
FifiRawwrrX 10 months ago
she is good
itslikebri 10 months ago
It irritates me that modern music artists don't even bother trying to come up with songs as good as this anymore. There was more musical integrity in the '60s and '70s. You had to have great songs, because your competition was producing timeless stuff-- Badfinger, Jim Croce, Bill Withers, Carole King, the Guess Who, Cat Stevens. In comparison, today's music sounds shallow, mediocre, hook-less. It's more of a performance spectacle now, a fashion show with dancing.
takfam07 11 months ago 2
Hippies are so awseome!!! Excactly why dont people always like them? I mean, what isnt to like? I mean they're all for peace, art, love and environmentalism. Where could you go wrong?
MythicDude 11 months ago
@MythicDude It's the big machine that doesn't like us. Some people would not be rich if there were more hippies so they put us down verbally and physically.
vpaczkowski 8 months ago
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@vpaczkowski Its sad isnt it?
MythicDude 8 months ago
Now adays, It's about looks, and knowing the right people. No offense but she wasn't the most beautiful person.. But damn.. that's talent. What happened to it all.. Now, everyone is so greedy the music industry is raping TRUE music and ripping out its soul..
DeityxofxHell 1 year ago
is that Peter Green at the beginning?
No1TuneRanger 1 year ago
Now they took all the trees, put em in a tree museum. Then they charged all the people a $1 and a half to see them.
That's a great line.
bgrich2003 1 year ago 3
Good song but she needed to stabilize her voice more.
jamthom9 1 year ago
@jamthom9 I think the song is about how we destroy something beautiful to achieve perfection, much like your trying to do with her voice.
bgrich2003 1 year ago
timeless
fanspeed1956 1 year ago
she is awesome!!
dlyons99x 1 year ago
it breaks my heart that this kind of music doesn't sell anymore :(
sweetiepiepinay 1 year ago
She goes from pretty to GODDESS as soon as she sings.
itzjoeymac 1 year ago
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stupid hippies get a job and shower
leafs4life3danield 1 year ago
@leafs4life3danield Yeah damn hippies trying to save the planet. What's wrong with them.
bgrich2003 1 year ago
I love her smile :)
cacacacarolr 1 year ago 2
Wow, a serious, challenging message but put so sweetly. Songs like this are far more enlightening than protest music that's haughty and smug. God bless you, Joni Mitchell.
metersfan 1 year ago
what makes you thinking that? according to the haircuts in the audience, the relative young look of Joni Mitchell and also the decoration in the studio, the video was very likely made in the early 70ies. However, Phillip Symore Hoffmann was born in 1967; therefore he would have been six years old (in 1973).
PeterSchroder 2 years ago
Is that Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac in the first picture front row left beside Joni Mitchell?
PeterSchroder 2 years ago
its phillip seymour hoffman yea phillip seymour hoffman
danmonsterhog 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
omg i hate this song
Edward0Cullen0Cute 2 years ago
Write a better one yourself!
Rbksmn 2 years ago
Beautiful Smile!........Beautiful Voice! Thank You gizamax
bamagreycoat 2 years ago 2
How funny...
I never thought that average looking people could make great music...
*sarcasm*
This is great!
micey1105 2 years ago 3
You Dont Know What You 'Ve Got Till Its Gone
how true!
xxx
moderndog1975 2 years ago 4
If i were to interview Joni, I would ask was the big yellow taxi a police car? was your old man your father or husband? Where and when did you write this song? Was Rachel Carson known to you then? What inspired these lyrics and melody? Love and Freedom, Frank
frankho99 2 years ago 2
This is from an interview with her from the 70's
" 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... this blight on paradise. That's when I sat down and wrote the song."
stevechilders 2 years ago
Joni was cool then and even more cooler now ,i love her invention ,she is a true hero
vaughnsalem 2 years ago
what a voice! Plus she looks like one of my friends {:o) Now if some of the artist nowadays would put away the overly synthesized voices more people would love music again
ayamejoy 2 years ago 2
she's got the most unusual and neat voice with amazing lyrics.
ryanadamsfan1 2 years ago 4
i only like this song because her voice drops when she says "gone" lol makes me happy
lMmMproduction 2 years ago 2
i wish i'd got to see her :(
i guess being fifteen doesnt help :(
tom9987 2 years ago 3
ahh!!!!!!!!!so good
memandy123 2 years ago 5
Beautiful. Thanks.
Geekman333 3 years ago 5
The message is still "current"... her voice is still being heard
join the green revolution
HTCSWEOD 3 years ago 5
Consumerism happened.
DrRobDammet 3 years ago 5
People were so much cooler back then, what happened???
johnSaffire 3 years ago 70
@johnSaffire
Punk, disco, the neo-romantic crap, the yuppy era, techno, rap
Like they say... shit happens .and it did!
bigbadnewman 1 year ago
@johnSaffire
Ronald Reagan happened.
mhatlie 1 year ago
@johnSaffire If I had to guess, I would say rap & the GOP.
MaceMn 8 months ago
@johnSaffire You got old. ;) Seriously, though, every generation has its own random ideas of what it means to be cool, so as times inevitably change, the coolness that we're used to is replaced by some younger generation's different ideas of coolness.
QuasarX 5 months ago
@johnSaffire Some of us are still around - the cool ones. These type of cool people aren't as popular. MTV happened; more superficial appearances happened; more money in the music industry happened; the advent of digitized music happened. I guess some other stuff happened...
gozxamaica 1 month ago
She sings like a bird in springtime. So beautiful~!
johnSaffire 3 years ago 33
Normally, her voice is very rich and very folksy. Hey give her a big "E" for effort anyway. Remember this by a group called Neighborhood? Same year...1970.
Thanks for the video!
jekiwe 4 years ago 2
I certainly can't tell her "pipes are going out." her voice, as always, is mindblowing
musicloveranthony 4 years ago 3