CIRCLE GAME Lyrics

Performed by Joni Mitchell

Yesterday, a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
And tearful at the falling of a star

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

Then, the child moved ten times 'round the seasons
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Words like, "When you're older", must appease him
And promises of someday make his dreams

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Cartwheels turn to car wheels through the town
And they tell him, "Take your time. It won't be long now.
'Til you drag your feet to slow the circles down"

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Before the last revolving year is through.

And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return, we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and 'round and 'round
In the circle game
And go 'round and 'round and 'round in the circle game.

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Thanks to Kathy for submitting CIRCLE GAME Lyrics.


Everlasting | Reviewer: robert | 10/11/11

There are songs we hear day in and day out that are catchy, fun and make us smile. we love to hear them over and over again. Then there are the songs that hit us in ways sometimes known and often unknown, that transend the song itself and take their place as monuments to our greater understanding of humankind. Cirlce Game is one
of those songs. From the moment you first hear it you are touched with insight from Joni clearly speaking from a person with a very old and wise soul. And yet she was so young when she wrote it. She gave it to us to ponder then and now as those of us who were young along side her are now aged and continue to find the deeper meaning in the song. The song, like a fine vintage wine, only gets better with time.

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3 generations | Reviewer: andrea | 3/18/11

Truly a song you can listen to throughout your entire life. My mom sang and played it to me all throughout my childhood and I now sing it to my daughter. Honestly whenever Im really sick I head home and grandma sings to the both of us. Truly an ageless piece.

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Greatest lyrics ever about the circle of life | Reviewer: MP | 1/27/11

Joni Mitchell is one of the great lyricists of the 20th/21st century. She delves deep into the angst and beauty of life. How she wrote this song as a young woman only attests to the depth of her intelligences.

If you're over 40, you now totally understand the poignancy of this song. Thanks, Joni, for writing a song I needed twenty five years before its time.

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Wow | Reviewer: Coral | 9/26/10

Whenever I spend the night at my friend's house, she has to sing this to me or I cannot fall asleep. I cry when I hear it because it just makes so much sense. I strongly encourage all of you to send this to as many people as you can. It's really changed me.

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I love you, Joni | Reviewer: Heather | 11/19/07

I absolutely love this song. Especially the live version with James Taylor at the Royal Albert Hall. There's something mysterious about it that makes me really <i>feel</i>.

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