Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game (Live In-Studio 1968)

written & produced by Joni Mitchell | from the album Ladies of the Canyon (1970) | live in-studio from the CBC program The Way It Is (1968) | thanks to Randall & the JMDL Tape Tree | lyrics:

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

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 thru 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

© 1966 Siquomb Publishing

[Stalled-wmqd]

You kind of want this beautiful song to go on and on forever. Never end.

[EdwardRice-xj]

It breaks my heart, or can mend one. I'm listening for the nth time, on November 6th, 2024, and it has me hoping.

[Gildedbutterfly]

We used to sing this at Girl Scout Camp back in the mid 1980s around the campfire. This totally takes me back to that time. Back when the days were simple and fun.

[cinemaipswich]

My life would not be complete without Joni.

[GeorgeFultonlove]

Joni Mitchell is so graceful and one of the best singer/ songwriter voice and very deep philosophical meaning to her songs, especially the “ The Circle Game”, and her voice is so down- to -earth and elegant that it comes somewhat close to Julie Andrew’s!

[sallyaguilera]

The Wonder years, my children are grown adults but I miss that I am not needed anymore. They are grown starting families of their own and I am thrilled.

[robertgillespie]

Fabulous footage, it's interesting to see her place her hand over the top of her guitar instead of barring the way she does now. It's something you need to build up to. Thank you for sharing.

[wendysugg]

I remember learning this song at school.
The words come flooding back ...

[parismemory]

She wrote this about Neil Young, fellow Canadian,
as a response to his "sugar mountain."

[rsalvador]

This Is Us brought me here. A tribute to Rebecca <3