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CIRCLE GAME
Songs "C"

THE CIRCLE GAME

Joni Mitchell

[G] Yesterday a [C] child came out to [G] wonder,
[G] Caught a dragonfly inside a [C] jar. [D7]
[G] Fearful when the [C] sky was full of [Bm] thunder,
And [C] tearful at the [G] falling [Am7] of a [G] star. [C][G]
And the [G] seasons, they go [Am7] round and [G] round.
And the [G] painted [Am7] ponies go [G] up and [C] down.
[G] We're captive on the carousel of time.
[C] We can't return, we can only look,
[Bm] Behind from where we [C] came,
And go [G] round and round and [Am7] Round in the [G] circle [C] game. [G]

[G] Then the child moved [C] ten times round the [G] seasons,
[G] Skated over ten clear frozen [C] streams. [D7]
[G] Words like, "when you're [C] older" must ap-[Bm]-pease him,
And [C] promises of [G] someday [Am7] make his [G] dreams. [C][G]
And the [G] seasons, they go [Am7] round and [G] round.
And the [G] painted [Am7] ponies go [G] up and [C] down.
[G] We're captive on the carousel of time.
[C] We can't return, we can only look,
[Bm] Behind from where we [C] came,
And go [G] round and round and [Am7] Round in the [G] circle [C] game. [G]

[G] Sixteen springs and [C] sixteen summers [G] gone now.
[G] Cart wheels turn to car wheels through the [C] town. [D7]
And they [G] tell him, "Take your [C] time, it won't be [Bm] long now,
'Till you [C] drag your feet to [G] slow the [Am7] circle [G] down." [C][G]
And the [G] seasons, they go [Am7] round and [G] round.
And the [G] painted [Am7] ponies go [G] up and [C] down.
[G] We're captive on the carousel of time.
[C] We can't return, we can only look,
[Bm] Behind from where we [C] came,
And go [G] round and round and
[Am7] Round in the [G] circle [C] game. [G]

So the [G] years spin by and [C] now the boy is [G] twenty.
Though his [G] dreams have lost some grandeur coming [C] true. [D7]
There'll be [G] new dreams, maybe [C] better dreams, and [Bm] plenty,
Be-[C]-fore the last re-[G]-volving [Am7] year is [G] through. [C][G]
And the [G] seasons, they go [Am7] round and [G] round.
And the [G] painted [Am7] ponies go [G] up and [C] down.
[G] We're captive on the carousel of time.
[C] We can't return, we can only look,
[Bm] Behind from where we [C] came,
And go [G] round and round and
[Am7] Round in the [G] circle [C] game. [G]