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BIG YELLOW TAXI - Counting Crows
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Tabbed by: Bob Miller
Email: onefinebob at gmail dot com
Tuning: DADGBE
Capo: 1st fret to play with the recording
Here’s a rendition that boils down a lot of what is going on to a playable
version for one guitar. Please let me know how it sounds and I’ll make
changes as needed to help this be the best it can. I love the way Counting
Crows does this version of a great Joni Mitchell tune! It plays around a lot
with different inversions and shapes of the same chord, which I think adds a
lot to their version.
All chords and fret numbers are given in relation to the capo incase you
want to play without. The actual key of the song is Ab.
G
e|---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|
B|---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|
G|---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|--------x---x---|
D|---|------5-x---x---|------5-x---x---|------5-x---x---|------5-x---x---|
A|-5-|---5----------5-|---5----------5-|---5----------5-|---5----------5-|
D|---|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
They
G
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
G|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
D|------5---------|------5---------|------5---------|------5---------|
A|---5----------5-|---5----------5-|---5----------5-|---5----------5-|
D|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
paved... lot. ..pink hotel... ...hot spot.
G Gmaj7 C C D Gmaj7
e|3-----3---------|3---------------|----------------|----------------|
B|3-----3---------|5---------------|-1-------3------|----3----3-3-3--|
G|4-----0---------|5---------------|-0-------2------|----4----4-4-4--|
D|0-----4---------|5---------------|-2-------4------|----4----4-4-4--|
A|5-----5---------|3-------------2/|3-----3/5-------|----------------|
D|5-----5---------|----------------|----------------|5---------------|
Don’t..seem.. don’t... paved... put... lot. Ooo...
G6 C G C D
e|----------------|33----3-------33|----------------|33----3355----55|
B|--3----3-3-3--33|55----5-------55|33----3-------33|55----5577----77|
G|--4----4-4-4--44|55------------55|44----2h4-----44|55----5577----77|
D|--2----2-2-2--22|55------------55|55------------55|55----5577----77|
A|--------------xx|33------------33|xx------------xx|33----3355----55|
D|5-------------55|----------------|55------------55|----------------|
Ooo.. They took... ..museum... charged...
G G Gmaj7 C G C/G D/G
e|33---------7\5p3|3-----3---------|3---------------|----------------|
B|33--------------|3-----3---------|5-----------3---|5-------7-------|
G|44--------------|4-----0---------|5-----------4---|5-------7-------|
D|55--------------|0-----4---------|5-----------5---|5-------7-------|
A|xx--------------|5-----5---------|3-----------x---|x-------x-------|
D|55--0h2-5-------|5-----5---------|------------5---|5-------5-------|
See them.... don’t... don’t... gone..paved.. put..
Gmaj7 G6 C6 G
e|----------------|----------------|-5--5--5--------|-3--3--3--------|
B|---3---3-3-3----|--3---3-3-3---33|5--5--5-------55|3--3--3-------33|
G|---4---4-4-4----|--4---4-4-4-----|5---------------|4---------------|
D|---4---4-4-4----|--2---2-2-2-----|5---------------|5---------------|
A|----------------|----------------|x---------------|x---------------|
D|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|5---------------|
lot.Ooo... oooo... Farmer... DDT..
C6 G G Gmaj7 C G
e|-5--5--5--------|-3--3--3--------|3-----3---------|3---------------|
B|5--5--5-------55|3--3--3-------33|3-----3---------|5-----------3---|
G|5---------------|4-------------00|4-----0---------|5-----------4---|
D|5---------------|5-------------55|0-----4---------|5-----------5---|
A|x---------------|x---------------|5-----5---------|3-----------x---|
D|5---------------|5---------------|5-----5---------|------------5---|
Spots... bees... please.. don’t..seem.. don’t.. gone
C/G D/G G C/G D/G Gmaj7 G6
e|----------------|--------|----------------|-----------|--------------|
B|5-------7-------|3-------|5-------7-------|--3--3-3-3-|--3---3-3-3---|
G|5-------7-------|4-------|5-------7-------|--4--4-4-4-|--4---4-4-4---|
D|5-------7-------|5-------|5-------7-------|--4--4-4-4-|--2---2-2-2---|
A|x-------5-------|x-------|x-------5-------|-----------|--------------|
D|5-------5-------|5-------|5-------5-------|5----------|5-----------00|
paved.. put.. lot.. paved.. put... lot.Oooo.. oooo...
SOLO
C G
e|-----------------------|------------------------|
B|-----------------------|------------------------|
G|-----------------------|-----5/7-7-7--5--4-4----|
D|-----------------------|-----7/9-9-9--7--5-5----|
A|-----------------------|------------------------|
D|2h5-5-5-2p0-2-5-5-5-7p5|5h7/9-----------------00|
C G
e|-----------------------|----------------|
B|-----------------------|----5+----------|
G|-----------------------|----5+--8---8---|
D|-----------------------|----5+--7h9-7---|
A|-----------------------|----------------|
D|2h5-5-5-2p0-2-5-5-5-7p5|5-------------00|
[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/c/counting_crows/big_yellow_taxi_tab_ver_4.html ]
C G Em G C
e|-----------------------|------------------------|---------------|----|----|
B|-----------------------|------------------------|------------5--|(5)-|(5)-|
G|-----------------------|-----5/7-7-7--5--4-4----|----4-----4-5--|(5)-|(5)-|
D|-----------------------|-----7/9-9-9--7--5-5----|--5-----5---5--|(5)-|(5)-|
A|-----------------------|------------------------|7-----5-----3--|(3)-|(3)-|
D|2h5-5-5-2p0-2-5-5-5-7p5|5h7/9-------------------|---------------|----|----|
Listen
G C/G D/G G G Gmaj7 C G
e|----------------|----------------|--------|3----2-----|0------------|
B|--------5+------|5-------7-------|3-------|3----3-----|1------3-----|
G|----4---5+------|5-------7-------|4-------|4----4-----|0------4--x--|
D|----0---5+------|5-------7-------|0-------|5----4-----|2------0--x--|
A|----5-----------|x-------x-------|5-------|-----------|3------5--x2-|
D|----5-----------|5-------5-------|5-------|-----------|-------5--x--|
..swing... big... took... away... don’t... don’t..
C D-5add11 G G Gmaj7 C
e|3------3--------|----------------|3----2----|0---------------|
B|1------3--------|3--8---8--3---3-|3----3----|1---------------|
G|0------0--------|4--7h9-7--4h5-4-|4----4----|0---------------|
D|2------4--------|0---------------|5----4----|2---------------|
A|3------5--------|5---------------|----------|3---------------|
D|----------------|5---------------|----------|----------------|
Paved.. put.. lot don’t. don’t...
C D-5add11 G C D-5add11 G
e|----------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
B|1----3----------|3----3----------|1----3-------|3----3----------|
G|0----0----------|4----4----------|0----0-------|4----4----------|
D|2----4----------|0----0----------|2----4-------|0----0----------|
A|3----5----------|5----5--------2-|3----5-------|5----5----------|
D|----------------|5----5----------|-------------|5----5----------|
Paved.. put.. lot.. paved..put.. lot...
C D Gmaj7 G6
e|0----2----------|----------------|----------------|
B|1----3----------|---3----3-3-3---|---3---3-3-3--33|
G|0----2----------|---4----4-4-4---|---4---4-4-4--44|
D|2----4----------|---4----4-4-4---|---2---2-2-2--22|
A|3----5----------|----------------|--------------xx|
D|----------------|5---------------|5-------------55|
Paved..put. lot. Oooo. Oooo..
C/G G C/G G
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|55------------55|33------------33|55------------55|33------------33|
G|55------------55|44------------44|55------------55|44------------44|
D|55------------55|55------------55|55------------55|55------------55|
A|xx------------xx|xx------------xx|xx------------xx|xx------------xx|
D|55----/5------55|55-----/5-----55|55-----/7-----55|55------/5----55|
I don’t... giving... Now you... giving...
C/G G C/G D/G G
e|----------------|------------33--|----------------|33-----------5-7|
B|55------------55|33--------33--33|55----5577----77|33---------3----|
G|55------------55|44------00----44|55----5577----77|44-------0------|
D|55------------55|55------------55|55----5577----77|00-----0--------|
A|xx------------xx|xx------------xx|xx----xxxx----xx|55--------------|
D|55----/5------55|55---/5-------55|55----5555----55|55-5-7----------|
I don’t... giving... giving.. away...
C6 C Gadd9 G C6 C Gadd9 G
E||-5---5---5-----5-|5---5---5-----5-|5---5---5-----5-|5---5---5-----5-|
B||*1---1---1-----1-|0---0---0-----0-|1---1---1-----1-|0---0---0-----0-|
G||-0h2-2--0------2-|0h2-2--0------0-|0h2-2--0------2-|0h2-2--0------0-|
D||---------2----2--|--------0-----0-|--------2----2--|--------0-----0-|
A||*3---3---3-----3-|2---2---2-----2-|3---3---3-----3-|2---2---2-----2-|
D||-----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
Why you... Why do..(Cause you’re..)
C6 C Gadd9 G C6 C G
e|5---5---5-----5-|5---5---5-----5-|5---5---5-----5-|5-----------5-7--||
B|1---1---1-----1-|0---0---0-----0-|1---1---1-----1-|0---------3-----*||
G|0h2-2--0------2-|0h2-2--0------0-|0h2-2--0------2-|0-------0--------||
D|--------2----2--|--------0-----0-|--------2----2--|0-----0----------||
A|3---3---3-----3-|2---2---2-----2-|3---3---3-----3-|2---------------*||
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|--5-7------------||
La la la... they paved.... lot.. (repeat n fade)
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Here’s the words with chords:
G
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
G Gmaj7 C
Don't it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got til it’s gone
C D (G) <-single note
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Gmaj7 G6
Ooooh, bop bop bop, Ooooh, bop bop bop
G6G6 CC CC GG
They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum
G G CC CC DD CC GG
And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them, no, no, no
G Gmaj7 C G
Don't it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got til it’s gone
C D (G) <-single note
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Gmaj7 G6
Ooooh, bop bop bop, Ooooh, bop bop bop
C6 G
Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT. I don’t care about
C6 G
spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees. Please!
G Gmaj7 C G
Don't it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got til it’s gone
C D G
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
G C D G
Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Gmaj7 Why not? G6
Ooooh, bop bop bop, Ooooh, bop bop bop
SOLO
C G C G C G Em G C
(C) G
Listen, late last night, I heard the screen door swing
C D G
And a big yellow taxi took my girl away
G Gmaj7 C
Now don't it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got til it’s gone
C D G
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot, hey na na,
G Gmaj7 C G
Don't it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got til it’s gone
C D G
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot, why not?
C D G
They paved paradise to put up a parking lot, hey hey hey
C D (G) <- single note
Paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Gmaj7 G6
Ooooh, bop bop bop, Ooooh, bop bop bop
C6
I don't wanna give it, why you wanna give it
G
why you wanna give it all away, hey, hey, hey
C6
Now you wanna give it, I should wanna give it
G
cause you’re giving it all away no no
C6
I don't wanna give it, why you wanna give it
G
Why you wanna give it all away
C D G
Cause you’re giving it all, giving it all away, yeah yeah
C6 C Gadd9 G C6 C Gadd9 G C
Why you want it Why do you want to
Causee you’re giving it all away hey hey hey
C6 C Gadd9 G C6 C G
La la la... They paved paradise to put up a parking lot
C6: x32213
Gadd9: x20203
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| / slide up
| \ slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
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