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The Circle Game

by Joni Mitchell   Printer-friendly version of this lyric

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
Till 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


© Siquomb Publishing Company

Additional information:

*Footnotes

"The Circle Game"
Written in response to Neil Young's Sugar Mountain. In the Goldmine interview From Blue to Indigo, William Ruhlman writes:

Another early composition was "The Circle Game," Mitchell's song about a young boy's rites of passage. It was inspired by another song, Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain." Mitchell had met Young in 1964 at the Fourth Dimension folk club at the University of Manitoba, and encountered him again in the Yorkville district of Toronto in 1965. Young, a member of the Squires rock 'n' roll group, had written "Sugar Mountain" on his 19th birthday, November 12, 1964, as a lament for the approaching end of his teenage years ("You can't be 20 on Sugar Mountain.") Mitchell took the story to its logical conclusion, but offered hope. "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." 

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Guitar Transcriptions of The Circle Game

The Circle Game has been recorded by 188 others

Alexander, Maureen (from "Time Passes" - 2009)
Amos, Tori (from "Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL 4/15/05" - 2008)
Anders, Susan (from "You Can Close Your Eyes" - 2004)
Au, Albert (from "Top Folk 2" - 2001)
Baccini, Sophya (from "Aradia" - 2009)
Belafonte, Harry (from "The Warm Touch" - 1971)
Bermuda Triangle (from "The Missing Tapes" - 2007)
Biddle, Laura (from "Wild Thing" - 1998)
Big Yellow Taxi (from "Treasures Of Joni Mitchell" - 2008)
Bill & Susan Weiske (from "For Each Other" - 1999)
Brandes, Jeanie  (from "When I Look In Your Eyes" - 2006)
Briarose (from "Intertwine" - 2000)
Bridgette and Friends (from "Let the Love Shine" - 2005)
Broken Ashes (from "Broken Ashes" - )
Burkin, Reg (from "Napton Folk Club" - )
Callaghan, George  (from "Another Fall Of Rain " - )
Camp Tawonga (from "Camp Tawonga Live" - )
Camp Walt Whitman (from "Camp Walt Whitman Sings" - 1995)
Cao Zhengqing; Huang Zhong; Jin Hao; Sun Wenjun; Zhou Wenting (from "Famous English Songs For Children" - 2004)
Caputo, Valeria (- )
Cardwell, Roger (from "Festival 70" - 1970)
Carlin, Ruth (from "Moon Song" - 2012)
Carlisle, Liz (from "The Water Is Wide" - 2007)
Carr, Charlie (from "Friends And Charlie" - 1979)
Chan, Agnes (from "Agnes Chan In Japan" - 1971)
Chao, Rita (from "Circle Game" - 1972)
Chapman, Steven Curtis (from "Musical Blessings" - 2005)
Charlie & The Boys (- )
Cherry Boys (from "Top Hits & T.V. Themes 70/71 Volume Two" - )
Clark, Erana (from "(45 single)" - 1973)
Close Enough (from "Seasonings" - 2001)
Colby, David (from "David Colby with Mary Caird" - )
Cole, Ted with Camp Walden (from "Pass The Music On" - 1999)
Coles, Susie (from "Once Again With You" - )
Constantine, Rob (- )
Cornelia (from "I Wanna Live" - 1968)
Cox, Billy (from "Coast Tales" - 2008)
Cox, Doug  (from "Bone Bottle Brass or Steel" - 1996)
Cox, Jerry (from "California - The Best of West Coast Music, Volume 2" - 2008)
Davenport, Mark (from "Full Circle: Songs on the Carousel of Time" - 2009)
Davies, Julian (from "Julian Davies" - 2003)
Dennis O'Neil and Davey Armstrong (from "Still On Our Feet" - )
Des & Dawn Lindberg (from "(45 Single)" - 1971)
Dohters (from "Dohters" - 1970)
Dworsky, Richard (from "Back To The Garden" - 1992)
Ebersole, Christine (from "Live at the Cinegrill" - 1997)
Eishu (from "Songs" - 2004)
Elaine and Mike (from "Listen To Your Heart" - 2009)
Ely, Rick  (from "Rick Ely" - 1971)
Ensemble Petit & Screen Land Orchestra (from "Screen Music Wide Special "Love" Theme 32" - )
Family Four (from "Picknick" - 1972)
Felix, Kirk (from "For My Friends" - 1972)
Fleisher, Julian (- )
Flynn, Richard (from "Friday Night Finger Paintings; The Best of First Friday for Folk Music 2005" - 2005)
Foiled Again (from "Foiled Again Live" - 2009)
Folkal Point (from "Folkal Point" - 1972)
Frank, Nyle (from "Midnight Journey (Pieces For Fall)" - 1996)
Gary Shum and Carl Occhipinti (from "Personal Circles" - )
Gazarek, Sara  (from "Yours" - 2005)
Gifford, Kathie Lee (from "Born For You" - 2000)
Glenshire Elementary Singing Eagles 2003/04 (from "Glenshire Sings, Volume 1" - )
Greer, Patty (from "Harp On!" - )
Griffin, Donna (from "Old Gold" - 2000)
Gurewitsch, Kathryn (from "Now and Then" - 2012)
Hall, Bill (from "Cuts" - 2006)
Hamilton IV, George  (from "The Gentle Country Sound Of George Hamilton IV" - 1968)
Hamilton, Ken (from "Be Gentle With Yourself" - )
Harmon, Jim (from "Lullabies and Lovesongs" - 2004)
Haynes & Perry (from "Songs From The Ghostlight" - 2001)
Heckler, Bob (from "Kansas Boogie Train" - 2011)
Hegarty, Dermot (from "45 Single" - 1968)
Ho, Lillian (from "Lillian's First Album" - 1999)
i Teos (from "In Studio 1" - 2010)
Ian & Sylvia (from "So Much For Dreaming" - 1966)
Irwin Ross & His Orchestra (from "The Memorials Of Screen Music 1" - 1970)
Jackson (from "Alone, Then Together" - )
James, Robin (from "The Circle Game" - 2005)
Janet & Kaori Kiana Ohuchi (from "Full Circle" - 2004)
Jansen, Susan (from "Desert Lily" - 2002)
Jimmy Takeuchi And His Exciters (from "Drum Drum Drum" - 1971)
Julian (from "Julian" - 1972)
Kelly, Bev (from "Long Ago & Far Away " - 2010)
Koloc, Bonnie (from "Beginnings" - 2010)
Kosuke Onozaki & Rainbow Grand Orchestra (from "Onkyo, Artistry In Sound" - )
La Jeunesse Northumberland Youth Choir (from "The Stolen Child" - 2000)
Lam, Samantha (from "Hear With Me" - 2009)
Laura (from "(45 Single)" - )
Laurel & Jan (from "Flights of Imagination" - )
Leora Cashe & The Ross Taggart Trio  (from "Another Side Now - The Songs of Joni Mitchell" - 2007)
London Pro Musica Choir (from "Songs Of The Land" - 2008)
Longley, Liz (from "Take You Down " - 2007)
Lundeen, Tricia (from "Tricia" - )
Mancini, Henry (from "Married To It" - 1991)
Marshak, Judy (from "A Matter Of Time" - 2010)
Maurice Laurent Et Son Grand Orchestre (from "EMOTIONAL THEMES BEST 36 ('80 SCREEN MUSIC LIBRARY VOL.3)" - )
Mazzei, Jean  (from "At Last" - 2005)
McCann, Terry & Mary Robbins (from "Friends In Harmony" - 1975)
McCulloch, Ian (from "Proud To Fall (12" 45 Single)" - 1989)
McGovern, Maureen (from "A Long And Winding Road" - 2008)
McHenry, Janice (from "St. Jerome's Parish Presents 'Images' Annual Youth Musical Presentation" - 1973)
Mei Ling, Chan (- )
Meja (from "Mellow" - 2004)
Michel Clement Orchestra (from "Love Story/Screen Mood Best Album" - )
Miek & Roel  (from "miek en roel" - 1970)
Milan y Bibiloni (from "Milan y Bibiloni" - 1977)
Milne, Andy (from "Dreams and False Alarms" - 2007)
Mitchell, Chuck (from "Combinations" - 1977)
Molaskey, Jessica (from "Sitting In Limbo" - 2007)
Morley, Bob (from "Life I Love You" - 1974)
Mosci, Robert (from "Boardwalk And Brownstone" - 2010)
Mulligan, Carol (from "At Last" - 2012)
Nah Youn Sun (from "Memory Lane" - 2008)
Nawaka (from "Nightsounds" - )
Nelson, Kinloch (from "Kinloch plays Tunnel 13 and other Petros Guitars" - )
Nishida, Hikaru  (- 2007)
North of South (from "The Cochrane Lake Sessions" - )
Nyman, Emily  (from "Memoirs" - 2005)
Olma, Karin (from "Songs at the end of the day" - 2008)
Parton, Dolly (from "The 70's Dolly Show - Vol 1" - )
Pat Surface and the Boundary Water Boys (from "Canoe Grass Revival" - 2009)
Penny Davies & Roger Ilott (from "Moon Caller" - 2009)
Penny Lim & The Silverstones (from "Beautiful Sunday" - )
Rachel Z Trio (from "Moon At The Window" - 2002)
Radtke, Bruce  (from "Long Time Passing" - 2005)
Riccards, Abigail  (from "Every Little Star" - 2013)
Rich And Nona (from "Rich And Nona" - )
Robertson, Mae  (from "The Sun Upon the Lake Is Low" - 1997)
Robinson, Sean Devine (from "Dark Blue With A Hint of Orange" - )
Rod McCormack & Mick Albeck (from "The Circle Game" - 1996)
Roger & Susanne (- )
Rolie Polie Guacamole  (from "Houses Of The Moly" - 2012)
Ross, Ricky (- 2005)
Runaway Express (from "Woodstock" - 2006)
Rush, Tom (from "The Circle Game" - 1968)
Rush, Tom (from "The Circle Game [Import] 40th Anniversary Edition" - 2008)
Sachiko (from "Sachiko" - 2005)
Sainte-Marie, Buffy (from "Fire & Fleet & Candlelight" - 1967)
Sanne (from "Zand" - 1994)
Sawyn, George (from "The Trout Creek Concert" - 2001)
Sayvetz, Wendy (from "God Bless The Child" - 2001)
Schinkel, Gerd (from "Treibgut Im Wind" - )
Schmitt, Michelle (from "Covering Life" - 2011)
Simmons, Christian (from "California Dreaming" - 2013)
Stanbury, Michael & The Jubilee Singers (from "Our Family Album" - )
Steinberg, Bernie & Tina Malia (from "Folk Music For Kids" - )
Stephanie Schneiderman, Lisa Schneiderman, and Kim Palumbis (from "That Baby CD" - 2007)
Steve & Deb (from "Past & Present Pages" - 2008)
Sunday's Problem (from "45 single" - 1972)
Suzanne M. Sheridan & And the Suzanne Sheridan Band (from "Suzanne Sheridan Sings the Music of Joni Mitchell & Leonard Cohen" - 2012)
Sweeney, J. Shawn (from "Circle Game" - 2001)
Sweet Honey In The Rock (from "An All-Star Tribute to Joni Mitchell (TV Broadcast)" - 2000)
Take Five (from "Take Five" - 1970)
Tamarisque (from "Old Carousel" - )
The Accidentals (from "And Then There Were None" - 1969)
The Family Folk Chorale (from "Songs for Living On" - 2008)
The Film Studio Orchestra (from "The Graduate - A Gallery Of Screen Masterpieces" - )
The G-Stringers (from "The G-Stringers" - 1969)
The Harvard-Radcliffe Callbacks (from "Kaleidoscope" - 1994)
The Ian Campbell Group (from "The Circle Game" - 1968)
The Little Folk (from "Leave Them A Flower" - 1971)
The Ohio Singers (from "American Ballads - Take The Highway" - 1996)
The Pennine Folk (from "Both Sides Of The Pennines" - 1971)
The Timoneers (from "Roasted Live" - 1976)
The Travellers (from "Applaud Canada" - 1969)
The Woodstock Singers (from "Walkin' Through the Park" - 1967)
The Yale Spizzwinks (from "Lip Service" - 1971)
Theiss & O'Connor (from "Live" - )
Theresa Thomason & Paul Sullivan (from "Paul & Theresa: Favorite Duos, Volume 1" - 2012)
Thomasina (from "Chasing Cloud Shadows" - 2003)
Tilgner, Cinda  (from "Balancin' the Moon" - 2005)
Tilmann Höhn, Annette Marquard, & Kate Nelson (from "Circle Games" - 2010)
Tojyo, Jiro (from "For The Love & You" - 2003)
Tokyo's Coolest Combo (from "Lights, Camera, Action! Sophisticated Vibes of Tokyo's Coolest Combo" - 1992)
Townsend, John (from "No Mucking About" - 1973)
Traarbach, Jolanda (from "Clifftones" - 1999)
Two 4 You  (from "Lieder Songs Chansons" - )
Vocal Line (from "Beauty In The Breakdown" - 2010)
Volker Niehusmann & Christiane Weber (from "Another Blue" - 1997)
Wicked Sisters  (from "On This Road" - 2011)
Wilhite, Shawn (from "Sunflower Cafe" - 2009)
Wilson, Anthony  (from "Seasons (Live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art)" - 2011)
Wintermute, Lane (- 2005)
Wychfolk (from "Circle Game" - 1975)
Yamamoto, Seiichi  (from "Seiichi Yamamoto Cover Album Collection Vol.1" - 2013)
Yanofsky, Nikki  (from "Nikki" - 2010)
YMCA Camp Takodah (from "Takodah Sings" - 1999)
Zilbersmith, Carla (from "Uncovered" - 2009)
Zuiderveld, Elly & Rikkert (from "Jarenlang" - 1988)
» [more information on recordings by other artists]

Comments on The Circle Game

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PeterL on 2013-May-05 at 15:15:59 GMT-5:
I just decided to take up the guitar, so that I can do some extensions to this song. I hope it won't bother anyone.