APPRECIATE WHAT WE’VE TAKEN FOR GRANTED.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

APPRECIATE WHAT WE'VE TAKEN FOR GRANTED.

The external conditions of pandemic, along with the natural process of aging, have caused many of us to gain some insight into and appreciation for what we’ve taken for granted, large and very small. I woke up thinking about the lyrics to “Big Yellow Taxi”, written in 1970 by Joni Mitchell. The song, written 50 years ago, talks about taking natural beauty, the environment, healthy food, bees and relationships for granted. How appropriate today.

BIG YELLOW TAXI
Joni Mitchell

They paved paradise
n'Put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
n'Put up a parking lot
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop

They took all the trees
Put them in a tree museum
And they charged all the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
n'Put up a parking lot
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop

Hey, farmer, farmer
Put away the DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
n'Put up a parking lot
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
n'Put up a parking lot
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop

I said, don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
'Til it's gone
They paved paradise
n'Put up a parking lot
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
Shoo, bop, bop, bop, bop

They paved paradise
Put up a parking lot