The Circle Game
Embracing Life's Carousel: The Profound Journey in 'The Circle Game'
Lyrics
Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Child begins exploring the world
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Captures small joys but confines them
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder
Fearful during storms, vulnerable
And tearful at the falling of a star
Emotional at the loss of something beautiful
And the seasons they go round and round
Symbolizes the cyclical nature of time
And the painted ponies go up and down
Life's ups and downs like a carousel
We're captive on the carousel of time
We're bound by time's passage
We can't return we can only look behind
Unable to revisit the past
From where we came
Reflecting on origins
And go round and round and round
Repetition of life's cycles
In the circle game
Life's ongoing, cyclical nature
Then the child moved ten times round the seasons
Passage through time, growing older
Skated over ten clear frozen streams
Experiences and milestones passed
Words like, when you're older, must appease him
Advice to accept delayed gratification
And promises of someday make his dreams
Hopes for the future
And the seasons they go round and round
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
And the painted ponies go up and down
Life's continual fluctuations
We're captive on the carousel of time
Symbolic of being trapped in time
We can't return we can only look behind
Reflecting on the past but unable to change it
From where we came
Repetition and reflection on origins
And go round and round and round
Continual cycles of life
In the circle game
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now
Time passing, growing older
Cartwheels turn to car wheels through the town
Childish activities replaced by maturity
And they tell him,
Guidance to take one's time
Take your time, it won't be long now
Implying time's acceleration as one ages
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down
Life speeding up, desire to slow down
And the seasons they go round and round
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
And the painted ponies go up and down
Life's continual fluctuations
We're captive on the carousel of time
Symbolic of being trapped in time
We can't return we can only look behind
Reflection on the unchangeable past
From where we came
Repetition and reflection on origins
And go round and round and round
Continual cycles of life
In the circle game
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty
Maturing into adulthood
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
Realization of diminished dreams
There'll be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty
Hope for new and possibly better dreams
Before the last revolving year is through
Anticipation of future experiences
And the seasons they go round and round
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
And the painted ponies go up and down
Life's continual fluctuations
We're captive on the carousel of time
Symbolic of being trapped in time
We can't return, we can only look behind
Reflection on the unchangeable past
From where we came
Repetition and reflection on origins
And go round and round and round
Continual cycles of life
In the circle game
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
And go round and round and round
Continual cycles of life
In the circle game
Reiteration of life's cyclical nature
Songwriters: Joni Mitchell
Information about the songwriter and copyright
The Circle Game lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Crazy Crow Music / Siquomb Music Publishing
Copyright information
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