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