Plein Air 07: Circle Game

My song choices over the past few weeks betray an obsession with time and recollection. My childhood memories have never been very vibrant, more like perfumes passing briefly on the air. But however intangible and vague they are, my childhood memories captivate me. The autumn air blowing through the open window during my kindergarten nap time, the endless imagination-fueled adventures in my backyard, the wealth of mystery the wilderness seemed to hold; however intangible and vague, they feel so powerful, personal, and alive. 

Once again I have chosen a Joni Mitchell song to play for Plein Air. And similar to Both Sides Now, Circle Game explores what it means to grow up through the stages of childhood, while maintaining a bit more of a hopeful view of adulthood and the future. The guitar accompaniment itself is circular and repetitive, portraying the “carousel of time” Mitchell writes about. 

Join me today, surrounded by roses, palm fronds, ferns, and a bevy of other nameless plants, as I play Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game.”