The Byrds: Turn! Turn Turn Meaning

Song Released: 1965

Turn! Turn Turn Lyrics

To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

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...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 10th 2017 !⃝

   This is from the Bible. It is to give peace and acceptance for every period of life. Those that feel good and those that feel bad. It is a song of hope.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   m320753

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Oct 23rd 2008 !⃝

   The Byrds recorded this song for just what it is. Someone put this verse from the bible to modern day music, plain and simple. In fact this song is anti-protest and for some reason is meant to calm the waves of war and violence. another reason they recorded this might be that Dylan didn't have any more songs that he wanted to share with the group.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 11th 2011 !⃝

   Turn and look at all there is and keep turning and you'll see there's a context for so much for which there may seem to be no justifiable context. There's time for so many things, both the seemingly good and the seemingly bad.
4. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Apr 11th 2020 !⃝

   There are 3 turns in the song. The first turn, is for “Turn from your wicked ways”. The second turn is to “turn with the earth as it rotates”. The final turn stands for “wait your turn”. This one is obvious,as each line in the song states a thing, then the obvious! So if you wait your turn, the opposite will come to pass! If you don’t believe me, just ask Mr. McGuinn or someone else from the Byrds, if any of them are still alive!
   
   
   
5. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Aug 1st 2014 !⃝

   Life apart/aside from God is meaningless.
6. Shirl Coleman

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jul 6th 2011 !⃝

   It is my favorite chapter in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 3, God has a reason, a plan, and a time for everything on this earth, but he also gives us free will to make our own decisions. I love the song no matter who sings it.
7. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 31st 2011 !⃝

   The author wants world peace and he thinks there is a reason for everything.
8. m320753

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 17th 2011 !⃝

   How could pete seegar wite this song" it was written in the old testament before Jesus was born. the lyrics are as close to plagarism as you can get. but a good plagarism it is.ecclesiastes is a lamentation by king solomon. it's very basic meaning is that everything we see or do has been done before. he also told us that as a great king everything he did(building the temple in Jerusalem among other works) was meaningless. it didn't grant him anything special as on the day he died in the splender of his surroundings he would be no greater than a begger who died the same instant he did. he said there is a time for everything under the sun. in a place of justice there is wickedness. and that God will judge the righteous and the wicked both. the book goes on about values and living correctly and in the end all will be judged the wise man and the fool. there is a lot to be learned from this book and i'm certain dylan drew a lot of his famous lines from it.i advise people to read it as every other word in the bible there is something to be learned from it
9. har0462

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Aug 28th 2009 !⃝

   The Byrds did a lot of covers in those days, (though they released Mr Tambourine Man before Dylan). Actually Turn Turn Turn is a cover of the folk singer Pete Seger's song.
10. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Jul 8th 2009 !⃝

    If it was only about anti war, it would not include any more lyrics but it did making it an all inclusive song, dumb guy-I was nicer in my naming you but it is apparant you are a jerk.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
11. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 13th 2008 !⃝

    This is obviously an anti-war song, not unsimiliar to many at the time. It draws from Ecclesiastes in The Bible. I don't want to write anymore, ha ha dumb bitch.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

Latest Articles

• 
  A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park
• 
  Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable
• 
  Dolly, we need you
• 
  The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media
• 
  The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s
• 
  Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)