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Kris Kristofferson - The Circle
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- Published on Jul 8, 2025
- Live at San Sebastian, Spain, 25 - July - 2010.
The Circle is special song from Freedom.
A great history about the music:
NRK journalist Sigbjørn Nedland contacted Kris Kristofferson and asked if he would consider writing a song for the 100 years anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize. Kris said no: he would never write a song on anyones demand, not even for the Nobel Peace Prize. But after a while he called Sigbjørn Nedland and he said: "Maybe I have a song for the occasion after all."
And as Kris Kristofferson is also a movie star, and at that time was being filmed in Europe, Sigbjørn went down to his filmset in Prague and recorded the song on Kris' hotel room. Then Sigbjørn Nedland took the song to Dar-es-Salaam where he invited Chiwoniso Maraire to add some verses to Kris Kristofferson's text.
The Lyrics:
Who killed this woman this artist this mother?
Who broke the candle and snuffed out her light
Along with her husband and wounded her children
And sauntered away like a beast in the night?
"Not I" said the soldier
"I just follow orders and it was my duty to do my job well"
"Not I" said the leader who ordered the slaughter
"I'm saddened it happened, but then, war is hell"
"Not us" said the others who heard of the horror
Turned a cold shoulder on all that was done
In all the confusion a single conclusion
The circle of sorrow has only begun
And in Argentina...
Straight to the circle on Sundays
Down through the canyons they come
Bearing names of their mothers and daughters
Names of their fathers and sons
Stolen away with no warning, never to ever return
On el Rio del Muerto, All the bridges are burned
Los desaparecidos, lost in the darkness alone
Gone from the face of the earth
With no trace left behind them to mark with a stone
And the faces of Los Olvidados, only survivors recall
But for the pain and the heartbreak, did they matter at all?
Slowly the circle of sadness, spins in the Plaza Mayor
Lonesome remains of the madness and pain
In a world gone insane in a war
And the song of those broken survivors, dancing alone in the dark
With the silence of Los Olvidados, like a hole in the heart
Los desaparecidos, lost in the darkness alone
Gone from the face of the earth
With no trace left behind them to mark with a stone
And the faces of Los Olvidados, only survivors recall
But for the pain and the heartbreak, did they matter at all?
Mr Kristofferson, between this one and In The News, you have truly taken writing to another level. I have always been in awe of your work, but you keep improving on perfection. I'm 62 years old and have watched you from the beginning, and you are far and away the best in my lifetime. Thank you for saying what I don't how to say and please don't stop. David
Love this man and his music and l will never tire of him💖😊
You are a gift for all of your fans my friend.
Gosh Kriss you're a treasure pure and simple also a complete genius
One of the truly great songwriters of any musical generation...Has given music world incredible legacy....Magnifico hombre grande...
Great song writer, great song and great singer, I love him every time..God given gift bless his heart.
'He tells us what we need to know. I love this man so much. He is a great man, singer and songwriter. One of the greatest moments of my life was meeting him after a concert. He is very humble.
Language in its highest form. Thanks Kris.
RIP Kristofferson. You have been my beacon for the last fifty-years of my life. Your tremendous courage and resolute principle has been a lodestone forsmy of your ilk. Even your parents learnt from you and ultimately conceded. Your Rhodes Scholar award was indeed worth it, you even transcended it's parochial limits when you challenged the establishments and was acknowledged by liberated governments and global forces for freedom of humanity.
Tell it like it was..and is for so long.. glad he had the guts to speak out.. bless you Kris.
This song will last forever
as long as the "beast" is permitted to "saunder into the night".
RIP layla you're a hero all Iraqis know that and we respect your sacrifices to our country
thank you.
Listening to Kris from a kid. He wrote the greatest song ever that I do at Karaoke, " Sunday morning coming down " Still hoping to see him in concert.
We were lucky enough to see him at Kenwood House in North London in 2018, to celebrate his 82nd birthday. The concert was spectacular. Full supporting cast, and Kris was, and is one of the most talented singer/songwriters of our time.
This is so amazing... Layla and Suad AlAttar are actually my dad’s cousins so this is so amazing to me 💕
Kris is amazing!
Go Kris, We listen to your message and learn more every time.
Wal.
I am still wishing to meet him some day soon. I love him my self. I think he is a geat man. Love his songs.
Fantastic song, made me cry!!
Thanks for your comment and supports, your comments and constant support has brought me this far. Keep Supporting ❤️ please send me a via.kriskristofferson6@gmail.com
Wow going to that extra length to learn the language.. respect Kris xx
love love love this song. Was so happy he sang it in Sant Feliu too !!
Our only true modern protest singer, never stop Kris, maybe a song about the recent Orlando outrage would be good. From one straight to another.
I`ve been learning from you, and I thank you for your songs
Another great Kris song. Great.
Such a special man!
You are an amazing man, Kris.
Thanks for your comment and supports, your comments and constant support has brought me this far. Keep Supporting ❤️ please send me a via.kriskristofferson6@gmail.com
Fantastic!!!
R.I.P Layla!!!
Always have loved him
Kris had enough humanity for us all.
another classic
Kris eres un fenómeno,un saludo desde el País Vasco!
I swear he's a prophet.
This song will last forever ❤
RIP September 28,2024🙏
😢😢
just super
oh man!😢
beautiful
VOZ DA ALMA
kris.isverygood
I looked this up. The original woman in the dedication was Iraqi artist Layla al-Attar. Seems she lived next door to Iraqi intelligence in the 1990s. She was an outspoken critic of the first gulf war and President Bush.
When Kuwait was liberated, the brutality of the Iraqi Army under Saddam was concealed from the American people. The photojournalists sent there sent back reams and reams of footage of the mutilated bodies of the Kuwaiti citizens. It was deemed too disgusting to put on air, and I only know about it because I know someone who worked in the industry and had a private satellite dish, and could get the raw footage beaming in. It wasn't encrypted, just very few had access.
In 1993, her house was knocked down for the second time by US ordinance, and this time she was there. The strike was a second strike at the Iraqi intelligence HQ, ordered by then president Bill Clinton in reprisal for a recent assassination attempt on Bush Sr while he was visiting Kuwait.
I would love to meet him. I listen to his songs every night. l love him!!! I would like to know what kind of dad he is to his children.
A better dad than a singer, but I people love him any way....
Che bella canzone!grazie kris...sei un grande poeta...😊🤗😍🤩😘🎶🎸🎶💘💓💯💋🌅
Es lo qué pasó en mi país 😢en el río tiraban a los muertos 😮eran una bestias,y ahora niegan con el sipayo que tenemos de presidente,😮
Layla al Hattar ..
One of fwo higwaymen left
Huh? Willie Nelson is very much alive & kicking!!
Je suis Charlie je suis Layla
whatever he is, he is awkward and out of place. A really uncomfortable and
odd performance.
I can understand where you're coming from. I guess try to come back some other time, when your soul ages a bit:)
Charles Williams
Perhaps, KK is out of place and uncomfortable and odd in your world. He happens to be the exact opposite in mine. His words are enlightening, brilliant and free.
God loves KK
I think Kris feels so deeply and is empathetic to all. The amount of emotion his words evoke from our souls are enough to make eanyone uncomfortable...worse so when our governments are the triggers... his music will eternally comfort me lift me educate and console me that there are still good people in this mortal place. Love Ya Kris