Lyrics
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
Urban development destroying natural beauty; paradise replaced by a parking lot.
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot
Additional changes like a pink hotel, boutique, and hot spot signify commercialization.
Don't it always seem to go
Expresses a common observation about the value of things being realized only after they're lost.
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
Reiterates the theme of realizing the worth of something after it's gone.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
Repeats the impact of paving paradise for a parking lot.
(Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop, ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)
Refrain with vocalizations.
They took all the trees put 'em in a tree museum
Trees are removed and placed in a museum, indicating disregard for nature's intrinsic value.
And they charged the people a dollar an'a half just to see 'em
People are charged to see trees, highlighting the commodification of nature.
Don't it always seem to go
Reiteration of the theme of underestimating the value of something until it's lost.
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
Reemphasizes the idea of realizing the worth only in its absence.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
Repeats the impact of paving paradise for a parking lot.
(Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop, ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)
Refrain with vocalizations.
Hey farmer, farmer put away that DDT now
Farmers are urged to stop using harmful pesticides like DDT.
Give me spots on my apples, but leave me the birds and the bees
Acceptance of imperfections in apples but a plea to preserve essential elements like birds and bees.
Please
Emphasizes the importance of preserving nature.
Don't it always seem to go
Restates the pattern of undervaluing what we have until it's gone.
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
Reiterates the theme of realizing the worth of something after it's gone.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot
Repeats the impact of paving paradise for a parking lot.
(Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop, ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)
Refrain with vocalizations.
Late last night I heard the screen door slam
A big yellow taxi taking away someone's old man suggests loss due to urban development.
And a big yellow taxi took away my old man
Reiterates the idea of realizing the value of something after it's gone.
Don't it always seem to go
Refrain with vocalizations.
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
Reiterates the theme of realizing the worth of something after it's gone.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot (Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)
Repeats the impact of paving paradise for a parking lot with vocalizations.
I said don't it always seem to go
Restates the pattern of undervaluing what we have until it's gone.
That you don't know what you've got till its gone
Reiterates the idea of realizing the value of something after it's gone.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot (Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)
Repeats the impact of paving paradise for a parking lot with vocalizations.
They paved paradise, put up a parking lot (Ooh, bop-bop-bop-bop)
-They paved paradise
Repetition of the concept of paving paradise.
Put up a parking lot
Final repetition, emphasizing the transformation of paradise into a parking lot.
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