‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’, also known as or subtitled ‘To Everything There Is a Season’, is a song written by Pete Seeger in 1959. The lyrics – except for the title, which is repeated throughout the song, and the final two lines – consist of the first eight verses of the third chapter of the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. The song was originally released in 1962 as ‘To Everything There Is a Season’ on the folk group the Limeliters' album Folk Matinee, and then some months later on Seeger's own The Bitter and the Sweet. The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was adapted by the American folk-rock group the Byrds. The single entered the U.S. chart at number 80 on October 23, 1965, before reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 4, 1965. In Canada, it reached number 3 on November 29, 1965, and also peaked at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.
The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the book of Ecclesiastes, as found in the King James Version (1611) of the Bible, (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) though the sequence of the words was rearranged for the song. The Biblical text posits there being a time and place for all things: birth and death, killing and healing, sorrow and laughter, war and peace, and so on. The lines are open to myriad interpretations, but Seeger's song presents them as a plea for world peace with the closing line: "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late." This line and the title phrase "Turn! Turn! Turn!" are the only parts of the lyric written by Seeger himself.
The song was first released by the folk group the Limeliters on their 1962 album Folk Matinee, under the title ‘To Everything There Is a Season’. The Limeliters' version predated the release of Seeger's own version by several months.
‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ was adapted by the Byrds in a folk-rock arrangement and released as a single on October 1, 1965. The song was also included on the band's second album, Turn! Turn! Turn!, which was released on December 6, 1965. The Byrds' single is the most successful recorded version of the song, having reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts and number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.
Music journalist William Ruhlmann has pointed out that the song's plea for peace and tolerance struck a nerve with the American record buying public as the Vietnam War escalated. The single also solidified folk rock as a chart trend and, like the band's previous hits, continued the Byrds' successful mix of vocal harmony and jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar playing. Billboard described the song as a "fascinating entry with words from the Book of Ecclesiastes and music adapted by Pete Seeger" that is "performed with respect and taste and a solid dance beat backing."
Label – Columbia
Songwriter – Pete Seeger (words from the Book of Ecclesiastes)
Producer – Terry Melcher
SONG LYRICS
[Chorus]To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
[Verse 1]
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
[Chorus]
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
[Verse 2]
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
[Chorus]
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
[Verse 3]
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
[Verse 4]
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late