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            C           F                   C
Yesterday a child came out to wonder
C              F            G
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar 
C                F               Em
Fearful when the sky was full of thunder 
F                  G            C
And tearful at the falling of a star 
C                       F         C
And the seasons they go round and round
C                         F      C 
And the painted ponies go up and down 
F                                C
We're captive on the carousel of time 
F
We can't return we can only look 
Em                   F
Behind from where we came
       Em        F         G         
And go round and round and round 
               C
In the circle game
C                    F                   C 
Then the child moved ten times round the seasons
C           F                G
Skated over ten clear frozen streams 
C                      F          Em
Words like when you're older must appease him 
F               G                C
And promises of someday make his dreams
C                       F         C
And the seasons they go round and round
C                         F      C 
And the painted ponies go up and down 
F                                C
We're captive on the carousel of time 
F
We can't return we can only look 
Em                   F
Behind from where we came
       Em        F         G         
And go round and round and round 
               C
In the circle game
C                   F                    C 
Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now 
C                  F                  G
Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town 
C                           F                Em
And they tell him take your time it won't be long now
F                          G                C
Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down 
C                       F         C
And the seasons they go round and round
C                         F      C 
And the painted ponies go up and down 
F                                C
We're captive on the carousel of time 
F
We can't return we can only look 
Em                   F
Behind from where we came
       Em        F         G         
And go round and round and round 
               C
In the circle game
C                    F                  C 
So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty 
C                                F               G
Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true
C                            F                 Em
There'll be new dreams maybe better dreams and plenty
F               G                 C
Before the last revolving year is through
C                       F         C
And the seasons they go round and round
C                         F      C 
And the painted ponies go up and down 
F                                C
We're captive on the carousel of time 
F
We can't return we can only look 
Em                   F
Behind from where we came
       Em        F         G         
And go round and round and round 
               C
In the circle game 
        
                