Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi (REACTION) with my wife

[@cspringer333]

I read something decades ago that went something like this. "A farmer was standing in a meadow on a hill and proudly showing a city real estate developer his beautiful land. As they looked out over the majestic scenery they didn't say anything but rather enjoyed the beauty before them. Finally the developer said, 'This would make a FANTASTIC place to build hundreds of homes!' The farmer looked over his land and said, "It makes a pretty good place for a meadow too.' "

[@MerchantOfAlba]

💚

[@DennisGayhart-s3t]

She was singing about farmers using pesticides that kills the bees. She would rather have the spots on the apples.

[@cheryla7480]

One of my favourite Joni Mitchell songs is …..” Both Sides Now “ She recorded it as a young woman, in her early twenties. She was looking at life through the eyes of a young woman. She re recorded it later as an older woman. Exactly the same lyrics, but now reflecting on life as a more mature person, who has gone through many more experiences as she has aged.

[@robs-journeys]

It's not so much that Joni is predicting today, but that in the 50 years since this was written, we haven't really solved anything

[@tonybennett4159]

Same with Dylan's Masters of War. It remains chillingly relevant.

[@samuelmregister]

"who is Joni Mitchell?" oh, my...you've got quite a journey ahead of you!

[@kimrivera5302]

Please, please, do "Help Me". Just an exquisite singer, songwriter and all around creative genius. Love you guys!

[@dagmar.6954]

Joni Mitchell is a great Canadian-American singer songwriter. She covers a lot of genres of music including folk, pop, rock, classical & jazz. She has had so many hits especially in the 60's-80's such as "Chelsea Morning", "Help Me", "The Circle Game", "Both Sides Now", "Woodstock", "Raised On Robbery", "Free Man In Paris" etc.

[@ademas]

You should consider re-reacting to her LIVE performance of this song + Both Sides Now on the BBC from 1969.

[@mattthomas1547]

No need to apologize for the long talk, I was there every minute. I really enjoy your reactions.

[@andersgranstrom7128]

Ahh, please listen more to Joni - she is (in my world) one of the most amazing singer/songwriters I have heard!!😍Check out the original versions of "A case of you" or "Both sides now"!! I cannot listen to these without sheding a tear... Why? Because she is soooo good, and her songwriting and lyrics are spot on.

[@WhiteTiger333]

The mention about birds and bees and farmers. She said DDT. That's when people thought that spraying DDT was the definitive answer to everything that would interfere with maximum crop production, as well as 'eliminating' mosquitoes. What we found, to our sorrow, was that DDT was killing off birds and beneficial insects to a horrific degree. Due to DDT, the USA almost succeeded in completely eliminating our national bird, the American bald eagle.

[@hlawrencepowell]

Exactly. Canada banned DDT, as did the USA.

[@richg0404]

It had a terrible impact on the Bald Eagle but the birds are making a strong comeback thank goodness.

[@heidih2887]

Joni would be so happy to know her song sparked real thought and conversations. 🥰 Thank you for your genuine listening and reaction!🥰

[@cheryla7480]

Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer who grew up in the heart of the prairies in Saskatchewan, also a true hippie of the sixties she was very aware of the dangers of environmental neglect, and as many of that generation she was right!

[@itchyandred4131]

Such an iconic song and an iconic artist......... Joni Mitchell is an amazing beautiful person ✌️

[@lindablair-rk9vr]

I sang this as a child. Thank you, I haven't heard this in a while.🐢🇺🇸

[@RoeShamBoe]

In the Led Zeppelin song "Going to California" the line "there's a girl out there with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair" is about Joni Mitchell

[@RobRager]

I heard the inspiration for the “paved paradise……..” , part,one time Joni took her first trip to Hawaii, woke up in the morning, looked out the window & saw a HUGE parking lot between her & nature

[@hlawrencepowell]

DDT was a pesticide farmers sprayed on their crops. It was eventually banned in Canada where Joni is from.

[@195511SM]

I never cared much for her music...until several years ago, when I saw a special on David Geffin & they played her song "A Free Man In Paris'......which was written about him, but I'd never understood what it was about.

[@davidrauh8118]

She wrote this song on a vacation to Hawaii.

[@peterdubois65]

Living in rural Australia after growing up in Sydney the fresh vegetables from the farm are nothing like the supermarket. Never knew tomatoes tasted so good 😋

[@JoeHicks-ow4rm]

The lines you don't know what you've got til it's gone really hit home for me when my wife of 6 years passed away at the age of 25 from complications from a ceserian having our son That was 43 years ago and I still greave today.

[@bartstarr100]

So many Canadian artists are great commentators on American society. Joni, Neil Young, Rush, The Guess Who, Gordon Lightfoot, Robbie Robertson.

[@hlawrencepowell]

Yup! Leonard Cohen with Democracy is Coming to the USA.

[@musik102]

An even more powerful version of this theme is Tom Paxton's 1960s song "Who's garden is this?"

[@JoeHicks-ow4rm]

As I am 70 years old this song is definitely way more prevalent today. Just look at all the malls and there's not a lot of countryside left. When I was in my teens I remember that you could drive for miles and miles and not see a house now you can't go one mile without seeing multiple houses. SA D.

[@happymethehappyone8300]

A classic song with a similar message but said sarcastically (which some didn't get/catch at the time)..The Talking Heads (Nothing But) "Flowers"

[@happymethehappyone8300]

This woman is an ABSOLUTE POWERHOUSE & this is a truly MUST HEAR track,, Alabama Shakes "Don't Wanna Fight" ("Live From Capitol Studio A" video a MUST!!)

[@AjaxCaper]

As a girl, m grandmother was sent to the neighbor's house to borrow a yard of thread. She was to tell them they would pay it back when the wagons went to Galveston in the spring. They lived in Waco Texas. The wagons would go over 200 miles to the island of Galveston, south of houston. Galveston wqs called the Wall Street of the South. I don't know if the wooden wagons got on a ferry to go to the island. (I have probably 20 spools of thread.)

[@mapegatkinson92]

They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.

[@traog]

Joni has a lot of great songs, a couple great ones that I experianced outside of what was played on the radio are "A Case of you" and "Magdalene Laundries".

[@g0fvt]

Another great reaction, I live in the UK in a county not far from where you lived. It is a pleasure to buy direct from farmers and gardeners, as a Londoner previously it is a revelation. It is also fun to find vegetables that supermarkets do not stock. Although it seems old fashioned it is worth waiting for seasonal vegetables.

[@franktrig]

If you listen to Joni again I would strongly suggest "For Free" and "River" Joni was fantastic. Great reaction!

[@rodney-m7g]

This was the "counter culture " of the 1960's and the hippies . I was there , I was one of them . We were questioning all of the misguided values of popular culture , and of course we were regarded as crazy by all of those who were just swallowing the false values whole without THINKING about them . . There is a verse in the Bible and I hope I am quoting it word for word from memory because I read it almost 70 years ago when I read the entire King James version of the Bible from cover to cover , " a prophet is not without honor save in his own time and in his own country " . . We , like Joni Mitchell in this song were prophets ,we saw what was happening and where it was going . It has continued in that same direction and has only gotten worse . What shocked me into that realization so long ago was when I was 15 I left home out in the country in Alabama and moved to New York City on my own .. For me it was like moving to another country in another century , the only thing that was the same was that we ALMOST spoke the same language , LOL

[@tonycasey3183]

I have literally just got home in the UK from a week in Romania. After a buying fruit and vegetables in Obor Market in București it was like a totally different type of food to the fruit and vegetables I buy here in England. Same with bread. It upsets me how bland and generic our produce has become in my home country compared to other European countries. Forty years ago, I could go to a local market and buy locally grown and produced goods and I never appreciated that. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.

[@markferrett700]

If you can,you should grow your own......I started a few years ago........I've never tasted carrots 🥕 tasting so carrots!!!!

[@tonybennett4159]

It could be the Americanisation of the UK. For some reason we think mimicking their way of life is something to be emulated.

[@MerchantOfAlba]

Thank you for your comment! One of many reasons we moved to Romania is fresh food! No regrets there...pleased to know more people are visiting beautiful Romania! 💚

[@Pahdopony]

@@tonybennett4159As an American, I can definitely understand why you would think that since we do have a lot of supermarket produce and a lot of processed foods. However, we also have farmer’s markets everywhere where we can buy locally grown foods and many people also grow their own fruits and vegetables. So what I’m saying is fresh and homegrown produce and homemade products are available all over this country and most people take advantage of that. 😊

[@tonybennett4159]

@@Pahdopony I hear what you say, but for a person like myself, touring extensively around mainly the western states, the only places we could realistically access were supermarkets. I accept that for Americans, there is information that would help them to find wider choices.

[@williammuntzer7374]

Great reaction. I encourage you to listen to Both Sides Now. Its a lyrical masterpiece.

[@toddashton9696]

Check out Joni's live performance of "Both Sides Now"

[@bradbrisbane]

Love the tomatoes analogy. We all need to get back to local and seasonal and that's coming from someone from Australia that also lived in London. Step away from the supermarket and back to the market.

[@rodneysisco6364]

I am 79 years old and I have been seeing this going on for my whole life , but the pace of the destructive change only keeps on increasing .Your talk about tomatoes got to me . I have a garden which has been all organic for more than 50 years-- no pesticides,no herbicides, no chemical fertilizer We compost all of our bio-degradable kitchen waste, the grass clippings from our lawn , and the leaves that fall from our trees . We feed them all to our worm farm , the worms eat it and then we spread the compost and worm castings on the garden for fertilizer . I only grow heirloom varieties of vegetables, meaning no hybrids or GMO crap . We only eat the tomatoes from our garden , which are not necessarily pretty or uniform but they taste great and are healthy , unlike that red plastic tasteless crap they sell as tomatoes in the supermarkets .

[@descendantoffools9767]

She's a legend. So many great songs. I would suggest listening to River next.

[@descendantoffools9767]

She's great live too!

[@terrycunningham8118]

Most people think that a strawberry is supposed to be white when they cut it open. As for tomatoes, I have to put ketchup on mine to make them tase like a tomato. All big Agriculture wants to give us is what's convenient for them - tasteless, tough, and with an infinite shelf life.

[@bridgets.2374]

We make bread a couple of times a week, and yes, fruit and vegetables don't taste the same.

[@happymethehappyone8300]

You are both absolutely right..There is no doubt that them genetically altering/modifying all our fruits & vegetables have ruined their flavor,, etc.When i was a kid,, Watermelons were ruby red inside,, really sweet & absolutely delicious,, Now they are very light red/some pink,, Have almost no sweetness & have more of a styrofoam type texture,, Just as with most Tomatoes..Sooo sad.

[@kat2270]

Like you I love tomatoes and grow them in the garden, yes they taste delicious. As for bread, treat yourselves to a bread making machine, i promise you, you won't regret it. 🍅🍞🥖 Love your Reactions because you always have interesting things to say. Thanks for that.

[@cdmann]

Give a listen to In The Year 2525 by Zeager & Evens. A 60s song about the future 😱🤯 thank you ❤

[@MerchantOfAlba]

Done that one already 😊

[@TheHessian123]

When she was talking about the farmer using DDT, in her time there was abig controversy about farmers spraying their crops with a chemical called D.D.T. It kept bugs off the crops and therefor the fruit did not have but spots and the like. However, it killed ALL the insects AND the birds, She was saying stop using DDT she would rather have spots on her apples and enjoy having the birds and the bee's.

[@richardromney9205]

with so many problems, sum time it's just the simple things. hold yours close.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

Maybe you were in a big city in the UK. We have many farm shops and bakeries with fresh, local and organic fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, breads and pastries. Were i live in the West of England, UK.

[@MisterWondrous]

A garden tomato is a different animal. It explodes with life in your mouth. Store tomatoes are lifeless simulacra. The same can be said about Joni Mitchell compared with so many other store singers. Her voice and lyrics explode with truth and life. And that's why I'm telling Jesus, my yard man and Savior. He grows the tomatoes, and knows stuff.

[@classicrocklady6288]

She was saying for farmers to put away the chemical pesticides for perfect fruit and not kill the birds and bees by using it.

[@rk41gator]

More Joni. She is an artist (graphically and musically) and a poet. Oh, and I forgot......a true visionary. 'A Case of You', 'River' and 'Amelia' are must listens. Please note that her (my) generation started Earth Day and tried to get gasoline engines off the roads. We understood ecology but could not force the conservative money grabbers to stop abusing the Earth. Now we know what we got is gone! Joni had fun telling us to go to hell. (ps Home-grown tomatoes always taste better! and....I bet Romania's produce is so, so tasty)

[@rk41gator]

Do they have 'farmer's markets' in the UK? "A long talk" No apology.....Joni would be delighted.

[@MerchantOfAlba]

They do, but all the produce there is well overpriced. Thanks for watching 😊

[@MMacAttack]

React to original recording of “BOTH SIDES NOW” by Joni Mitchell A brilliant song

[@mapegatkinson92]

check out River and Court and Spark.

[@daveroberts936]

There are a lot of joni Mitchell songs that are astoundingly talented, but none are as philosophicaly relevant as Both Sides Now

[@stevedaniels623]

🇨🇦

[@brucevaudrien3373]

everybody likes joni because whats not to like but she was really a musicians musician.she was at a level musicians saw unattainable.i dont get it because im not a musician but shes a huge inspiration to bands like tool.you can see interviews of maynard james keenan from tool say if he could be like anybody it would be joni mitchell.

[@mapegatkinson92]

Please play Help Me by Joni.

[@MrMarco855]

The perfect round tomatoes you talk about, all the same size and shape and with weak flavor; here in the U.S. we call them ' hot house' tomatoes. They're grown inside in a controlled environment under heat lamps, thus the name 'hot house'. They're not nearly as good as fresh from the garden. We used to get fresh maybe 5 or 6 months in our hot/cold climate here, the rest of the year we get the 'hot house' variety. I don't bother buying them, as you say they're like cookie-cutter identical tomatoes with little flavor and very little juice inside. No thanks.

[@dianalavra1123]

Hola soy nueva suscriptora porfavor reaccionen a EL PROBLEMA- ALFREDO OLIVAS

[@NatsuGajinn]

Please when will come reaction to Till Lindemann -NSL 😊

[@MerchantOfAlba]

On our list 😀

[@davehagi9883]

Have a look at the film....Soylent Green, relevant to your comments...Peace.

[@kat2270]

Great film.

[@MerchantOfAlba]

Checking it now! Thank you 😊

[@RMForbes505]

Not to get political but personally I blame the billionaire investor class that use their private equity firms to turn every aspect of our lives into a profit center for them, it's the insatiable greed of the already very wealthy few that is creating much of this mess.

[@Mutabor1981]

how about reacting to something very different? DEath "symbolic" (lyrics video )

[@mrcatsuit]

Too much talking. Not enough song

[@michaelasay8587]

Guys, you pause and talk way too much. It took you 18 minutes to get through the song!

[@peterdubois65]

If you actually listened you would know that the song was over before they hit six minutes

[@sid7088]

They are actually absorbing the songs, unlike other reactors who are only fishing for views/likes etc.

[@DerekDerekDerekDerekDerekDerek]

Maybe you were in a big city in the UK. We have many farm shops and bakeries with fresh, local and organic fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, breads and pastries. Were i live in the West of England, UK.