Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell is a song that addresses environmental concerns and the consequences of modern urbanization. Released in 1970, the song criticizes the destruction of natural spaces and the environmental impact of human progress. Key themes include the loss of green areas to development, the paving over of paradise for parking lots, and the broader impact of industrial and urban expansion. A particularly poignant moment in the song is embodied in the line 'Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone,' which encapsulates the regret and hindsight often felt when natural beauty is lost to development.