Big Yellow Taxi Chords
Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell is a more advanced guitar song played in the key of C. It uses the chords E, B, G#, A, A6, B6, A/E, E7, E5 and Emaj7. Use the transpose and diagram tools on this page to change the key, see each shape, or simplify the chords.
GUITAR TUNING: E B E G# B E
Intro : A A6 A A6 A B B6 B B6 B
E A/E E7 A/E E A/E E7 A/E E
A A6 A E A/E E7 A/E E
They've paved paradise and put up a parking lot
A A6 B B6 E
With a pink hotel, a boutique and a swingin' hot spot. Oh,
E5 Emaj7
Don't it always seem to go
A/E E
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
A A6 B B6 E
They've paved paradise and put up a parking lot
E A/E E7 A/E E A/E E7 A/E E
(Choo bop bop bop bop, choo bop bop bop bop)
A A6 A E A/E E7 A/E E
The took all the trees, put 'em in a tree museum,
A A6 B B6 E
And they charged all the people a dollar-and-a-half just to see 'em.
Chorus
A A6 A E A/E E7 A/E E
Hey farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now.
A A6 B B6 E
Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees, Please!
Chorus x2
A A6 A E A/E E7 A/E E
Late last night I heard the screen door slam
A A6 B B6 E
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man
Chorus (with only one chooo bop, bop. at each end)
A A6 B B6 E
They've paved paradise, put up a parking lot (choo bop bop bop bop)
A A6 B B6 E
They've paved paradise, put up a parking lot.
Chord fingerings for this tuning:
E 0 0 0 0 0 0
E5 0 0 3 0 5 0
E7 0 0 4 0 3 0
Emaj7 0 0 3 0 4 0
A 5 5 5 5 5 5
B 7 7 7 7 7 7
B6 7 7 7 7 9 7
A6 5 5 5 5 7 5
A/E 0 0 1 0 2 0
NOTE: On the first two lines of the chorus and
often on the verse, it is better to slightly mute the chords so
that the rhythm can be heard but the actual notes barelynoticed.