Home » C » Counting Crows »

Counting Crows - Big Yellow Taxi Tabs

Artists:  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # 

Big Yellow Taxi Tabs

(ver. 1)
Counting Crows
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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|

  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-----------3-5|
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---0----------|
D|55----/5------55|55---/5-------55|55----5555----55|55-5------------|
  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-----------3-5--||
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---0-----------*||
D|----------------|----------------|----------------|--5--------------||
                La la la...     they paved....       lot.. (repeat n fade)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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

----------------------------------------------------------------------
| /  slide up
| \  slide down
| h  hammer-on
| p  pull-off
| ~  vibrato
| +  harmonic
| x  Mute note
=======================================================================
            
Submit corrections

↑ Back to top | Tablatures and chords for acoustic guitar and electric guitar, ukulele, drums are parodies/interpretations of the original songs. You may use it for private study, scholarship, research or language learning purposes only