Thursday, May 15, 2008

Thoughtful Thursday

While the Baroness may be an international jet setter, let it be known that at my very core, I am a huge homer.

I exude Canadiana. I love that the beaver is the national symbol. I watch "Corner Gas" (and guffaw appropriately)(yet politely)(Jackass). I think that Tim Horton's steeped tea beats high tea at the Savoy hands down.

I will defend to the death the brilliant lyricism of Gordon Lightfoot (a national treasure) and I watch all Mike Myers movies on principal alone ("So I Married an Axe Murderer"? Sheer cinematic genius).

Today's TT comes from another brilliant Canadian songwriter, Ms. Joni Mitchell.

WHOA there! Before all you dudes out there click off - please, please, please - The Baroness beseeches you - give her lyrics a chance.

I've been thinking lately about how cyclical life seems to be; vague familiarity sometimes peering out from behind a familiar phrase, sometimes laid at our feet before us by our children, sometimes raining down from a menacing cloud that has never quite cleared.

And this loop of circular thought got this song rambling around and around in my head.

Without further ado, The Circle Game.

Yesterday a child came out to wonder
Caught a dragonfly inside a jar
Fearful when the sky began to 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 fill his dreams

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on a 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 round 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

(chorus)

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 a 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.
Joni Mitchell

10 comments:

Mental P Mama said...

I love that song! Thank you for bringing thought to my Thursday.;)

Anonymous said...

Great Song!
Three things I love about Canada... y'all aren't obsessed with non fat stuff. You serve gravy with your fries on the ferry. Y'all have great pubs and bike trails.
I have not yet stopped into a Tim Hortons yet, but it seems to be a big deal to you folks. There's certainly a lot of commercials. It's kind of like your starbucks, yes?
Thanks for a great post!

Not Afraid To Use It said...

Very thoughtful post, Baroness. I loved it. Will have to listen to the song soon. How are things in the Land of Sky Blue Water?

The Maid said...

I remember that song from a movie I once watched..called "Married to It"

Stockard Channing, Jeff Bridges (I think), and Cybil Sheperd...among others.

It was a really neat movie about relationships and the struggles of marriage at different stages of life.

Loved it...loved the song.

Thanks for your blog...it is an American treasure as well!

The Maid

The Guv'ner said...

I'm not at all sure how I managed to get this far in life not knowing Joni Mitchell was a Canuck! The things I learn from YOU Baroness.

You know who else is Canadian? William Shatner! I rest my case.

Writeprocrastinator said...

"So I Married an Axe Murderer'? Sheer cinematic genius."

Abso-lute-fisk-ly. I live up the street from the house that they used as an exterior establishing shot for his parents house. His father was also consistently funnier than Fat Bastard and the movie is worth it alone, on Myers take of Scottish food.

Joni is Canandian? It amazes me how many secret Candanians we have living down here.

Candy said...

Joni is among my top 5 of all time. And we used the Circle Game as the background music for a video montage we did when my husband's oldest child got married. It's a perfect song for such things.

My favorite song of hers, though, will always be A Song for Sharon. From Hejira. And now that's in my head looping :) THanks!

Anonymous said...

Countess MPM: You are very welcome - I love that song too - always makes me a little misty...


Countess AG: Wow - you know your Canuck food alright - you haven't had Timmy's, but have you had a White Spot Burger w/Triple O sauce? They serve these on the ferries, too. You can already guess what the "O" is for...

Countess NATUI: The Land of Sky Blue Water RAWKS. Look for a blog shortly about our amazing evening at Nye's Polka Bar.

Countess Becky: Aw, you're making my milky complexion all blushy with your compliment! Welcome, and thanks for stopping by. I will have to check out that movie - I think that Cybill Sheppard's a sassy riot.

Guv: Glad to be of factual service, darling woman. I know someone who actually went to school with James T. Kirk.

Count WP: "Absolute-fisk-ly" - you kill me! (Although such a deviously cleverwordplay, I have to admit I had to read it twice, the first time thinking "what the deuce is he getting at?")

I could wax rhapsodic about SOMAAM for days - Countess NATUI is another huge fan. Were you
"Passing Neighbor No.3" in the movie? I love your work!

Countess Candy: It does lend itself to such lovely events. I can't say that I've heard of the other song, but I'll endeavour to check it out!

Writeprocrastinator said...

I have mild dyslexia and an even stronger (forgot the term) version for numbers. I often have to read things and as a result, certian word plays come to me.

Anonymous said...

Count WP: This is quite the shrouded gift - maybe you're the Mozart of words!

 
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