Argh, I can’t believe someone *likes* the lyric “took my girlfriend away”. It’s a change to the lyric that makes no sense in relation to the song. So here are the original lyrics to Big Yellow Taxi. It’s all about the march of modern society and what we’re losing in the process. So the line about a big yellow taxi taking away her old man is very meaningful, very symbolic. It’s the freaking title of the song. And it fits with the song. Modern progress, losing something old.
So do you see why the Counting Crows version makes no sense? Took my girlfriend away? Huh? Girlfriend? How old is this chick? How does she represent the past? I dunno, they just changed the title line in a way that makes no sense to me. Argh.