Full Circle Song

"Full Circle Song" (aka "Full Circle") is a song written by Gene Clark in 1972 that utilizes an allegorical wheel of fortune motif to comment on the unpredictable nature of fame and fortune. The song originally appeared in January 1973 on Clark's Roadmaster album, which was initially released exclusively in the Netherlands. A re-recorded version of "Full Circle Song", with the alternate title of "Full Circle", was included on The Byrds' 1973 reunion album, Byrds. Although the song can be interpreted as an autobiographical commentary on Clark's own critically lauded but financially unrewarding solo career, Clark always denied that this had been his intention.

"Full Circle Song" was initially recorded in April 1972 at Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles as part of the recording sessions for Clark's second solo album for A&M Records. For these sessions, Clark and record producer Chris Hinshaw assembled a top flight crew of L.A. studio musicians, including Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Clarence White, Byron Berline, and Spooner Oldham, but progress on the proposed album was slow. The recording sessions were eventually abandoned, due to A&M's frustration at the lack of progress in the studio, and consequently the album was shelved. Some months later, Gene's friend and ex-manager of The Byrds, Jim Dickson, approached Dave Hubert, the head of A&M's foreign markets division, regarding a possible European release for the eight tracks completed during the abandoned album sessions. Despite protests from some A&M executives, these tracks were compiled with three other previously unreleased Clark songs and issued in the Netherlands as the Roadmaster album.

Prior to the Dutch release of Roadmaster, Clark decided to re-record "Full Circle Song" in late 1972, for inclusion on The Byrds' reunion album, since, at that time, the song was gathering dust in the A&M tape vaults. During recording sessions for the album, the song was renamed "Full Circle" and, for a time, it provided the working title for the reunion album, although ultimately the album would be released under the eponymous title Byrds. Clark was uncomfortable with the song being used as the title track for the album because he felt that the public might mistakenly assume that it had been written specifically for the Byrds' reunion. Clark confirmed that this was not the case during a 1979 interview with the Byrds' biographer, Johnny Rogan: "I'd already recorded that song a couple of years earlier [sic] and it wasn't really written about anything specific. It was just an idea I had."

The Byrds' recording of the song is similar in feel to the Roadmaster version but it features the addition of a soaring David Crosby harmony vocal and some striking mandolin playing from The Byrds' bass player, Chris Hillman. Following the release of the reunion album, "Full Circle" was issued as a single on April 11, 1973 (b/w "Long Live the King") but it missed the Billboard Hot 100, bubbling under at #109, and failed to enter the UK Singles Chart altogether. Oddly, the song was re-released as a single in the UK some two-and-a-half years later on August 8, 1975 but again, it failed to chart.

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Dan Fogelberg, on his 2003 album, Full Circle, and George Elliott, on his Men Don't Smoke album. Joe Algeri has also covered the song on his The Stockholm Years album and on the various artists tribute album, Full Circle: A Tribute to Gene Clark. In addition, "Full Circle" was recorded by Walter Clevenger for the 2007 Byrds' tribute album, Timeless Flyte: A Tribute to The Byrds — Full Circle.