They paved paradise and put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop, shoo-bop-bop-bop They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum And then they charged all the people twenty-five bucks just to see 'em Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop, shoo-bop-bop-bop Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT now Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees, please Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot I say, they paved paradise and they put up a parking lot Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop Late last night I heard the screen door slam And a big yellow taxi carried off my old man Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone They paved paradise and they put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got till it's gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop Oh, now, they paved paradise and they put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop Hey, steam rolled paradise and put up a parking lot Shoo-bop-bop-bop-bop