They paved paradise and 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 got ’til it’s gone / They paved paradise and put up a parking lot / They took all the trees and put them in a tree museum / and they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them / No, no, no / Don’t it always seem to go / that you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone / They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer put away your D.D.T. / I don’t care about spots on my apples, leave me the birds and the bees please / Don’t it always seem to go / that you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone / They paved paradise and put up a parking lot / Hey now, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot…

Listen: late last night I heard the screen door slam / and a big yellow taxi took my girl away / Don’t it always seem to go / that you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone / They paved paradise and put up a parking lot / Hey, no, no / Don’t it always seem to go / that you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone / They paved paradise to put up a parking lot / Why not? / They paved paradise and put up a parking lot / Hey, hey, hey / They paved paradise and put up a parking lot

I don’t wanna give it / Why you wanna give it / Why you wanna giving it all away / Hey, hey, hey / Now you wanna give it / I should wanna give it / Cos’ you giving it all away / I don’t wanna give it / Why you wanna give it / Why you wanna giving it all away / Cos’ you giving it all, givin it all away…

Hey, they paved paradise to put up a parking lot…

[By Joni Mitchell © Sony/Atv Music Publishing LLC, Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing, 1970]