Lyric discussion by Grooveon 

I just found out the true story! Joni used to play at a club in Yorkville, Toronto called the Paradise...it was bought out and flatted to make way for a parking lot! It now has a luxury hotel with a plaque that says "This used to be Paradise".

The trees were transplanted to the Government Buildings..costly!

This song was autobiographical and based on her experiences in Yorkville of the 60's - the Haight Ashbury of the North.

Most women of my generation ( I am 48) think this is about Joni's daughter that she surrendered for adoption. I'm a man so I take their word for it. It was too painful even for a great artist like Joni Mitchell to address directly so it's hidden in the lyrics. The big yellow taxi took away her little girl, not her old man. I think anyone who gives up a child knowing you'll never know another thing about her would feel like they don't know what they got 'till it's gone. Joni was tortured by...

wow.. that's something.

Interesting!

I would like to know what is the source of this information?

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