[Verse 1]

            
Yesterday a ch

              
ild came out t

  
o wonder
              
Caught a drago

             
nfly inside a 


jar
             
Fearful when t

             
he sky was ful

     
l of thunder
             
And tearful at

            
 the falling o

        
f a star


[Chorus]

             
And the season

           
s they go 'rou

        
nd and 'round
              
And the painte

            
d ponies go up

    
 and down
             
We're captive 

              
on the carouse

     
l of time

We can't retur

n we can only 

look
            
Be-hind from w

        
here we came
             
And go 'round 

              
and 'round and

  
 'round
              
In the circle 

      
game


[Verse 2]

             
Then the child

             
 moved ten tim

             
es round the s

easons
             
Skated over te

              
n clear frozen

 
 streams
             
Words like "wh

             
en you're olde

         
r" must appeas

e him
             
And promises o

          
f someday make

             
 his dreams


[Chorus]

             
And the season

           
s they go 'rou

        
nd and 'round
              
And the painte

            
d ponies go up

    
 and down
             
We're captive 

              
on the carouse

     
l of time

We can't retur

n we can only 

look
            
Be-hind from w

        
here we came
             
And go 'round 

              
and 'round and

  
 'round
              
In the circle 

      
game


[Verse 3]

             
Sixteen spring

             
s and sixteen 

        
summers gone n

ow
              
Cartwheels tur

             
n to car wheel

              
s through the 


town
             
And they tell 

              
him take your 

             
time it won't 

   
be long now
             
Till you drag 

             
your feet to s

           
low the circle

        
s down


[Chorus]

             
And the season

           
s they go 'rou

        
nd and 'round
              
And the painte

            
d ponies go up

    
 and down
             
We're captive 

              
on the carouse

     
l of time

We can't retur

n we can only 

look
            
Be-hind from w

        
here we came
             
And go 'round 

              
and 'round and

  
 'round
              
In the circle 

      
game


[Verse 4]

             
So the years s

             
pin by and now

            
 the boy is tw

enty
              
Though his dre

              
ams have lost 

             
some grandeur 

       
coming true
             
There'll be ne

              
w dreams maybe

             
 better dreams

     
 and plenty
             
Be-fore the la

             
st re-volving 

          
year is throug

    
h


[Chorus]

             
And the season

           
s they go 'rou

        
nd and 'round
              
And the painte

            
d ponies go up

    
 and down
             
We're captive 

              
on the carouse

     
l of time

We can't retur

n we can only 

look
            
Be-hind from w

        
here we came
             
And go 'round 

              
and round and 

 
'round
              
In the circle 


game
             
Songwriter:  Joni Mitchell