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Turn! Turn! Turn! (song)
Encyclopedia
"Turn! Turn! Turn!", often abbreviated to "Turn! Turn! Turn!", is a song
adapted entirely from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible (with the exception of the last line) and put to music by Pete Seeger
in 1959. Seeger waited until 1962 to record his own version of it, releasing the song on his The Bitter and the Sweet album on Columbia Records
. 45% of the royalties for the song are donated to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
, because, in Seeger's own words, "[in addition to the music] I did write six words."
The song became an international hit
in late 1965, when it was covered
by the American folk rock
band The Byrds
, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart and #26 on the UK Singles Chart
. Many biblical scholars believe that Ecclesiastes 1:1 implies King Solomon (born c. 1011 BC) as the book's author, but regardless of its precise origins, The Byrds' rendition of the song easily holds the record for the number 1 hit with the oldest lyrics.
The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the Book of Ecclesiastes, as found in the King James Version (1611) of the Bible
, though the sequence of the words was rearranged for the song. Ecclesiastes is traditionally ascribed to King Solomon.
The Biblical text posits there being a time and place for all things: laughter and sorrow, healing and killing, war and peace, and so on. The lines are open to myriad interpretations, but as a song they are commonly performed as a plea for world peace
, with an emphasis on 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 is notable for being one of a few instances in popular music
in which a large portion of scripture is set to music, other examples being The Melodians
' "Rivers of Babylon
", Sister Janet Mead
's "The Lord's Prayer
", and U2
's "40".
The song was published in illustrated book form by Simon & Schuster in September 2003, with an accompanying CD which contained both Seeger & The Byrds recordings of the song (ISBN 0689852355 & ISBN 978-0689852350). Wendy Anderson Halperin created a set of detailed illustrations for each set of opposites which are reminiscent of mandalas. The book also includes the Ecclesiastes text from the King James version of the Bible.
Handwritten lyrics to the song were among the documents donated to New York University
by the Communist Party USA
in March 2007.
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. One of The Limeliter's backing musicians at this time was Jim McGuinn
(aka Roger McGuinn), who would later work with folk singer
Judy Collins
, rearranging the song for her 1963 album, Judy Collins 3
. Collins' recording of the song was retitled as "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)", a title that would be used intermittently by McGuinn's later band The Byrds
, when they released a cover
of the song in 1965. Austrailian folk singer Gary Shearston
also recorded a version of the song for his 1964 album Songs of Our Time, under the title "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)".
by the American folk rock
band
The Byrds
and was released on October 1, 1965 by Columbia Records
(see 1965 in music
). The song was also included on the band's second album, Turn! Turn! Turn!
, which was released on December 6, 1965. The Byrds' single (b/w "She Don't Care About Time") is the most successful recorded version of the song, having reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
charts and #26 on the UK Singles Chart
. The Byrds' version distinguishes the song as the #1 pop
hit
with the oldest lyrics, dating back to the Book of Ecclesiastes. Many biblical scholars believe Ecclesiastes 1:1 implies King Solomon as the book's author; thus, if true, giving Solomon (born c. 1011 BC) lyrical credit for a number one hit.
The song had first been arranged by The Byrds' lead guitar
ist Jim McGuinn
in a chamber-folk style during sessions
for Judy Collins' 1963 album, Judy Collins 3. The idea of reviving the song came to McGuinn during The Byrds' July 1965 tour of the American Midwest
, when his future wife, Dolores, requested the tune on the Byrds' tour bus. The rendition that McGuinn dutifully played came out sounding not like a folk song but more like a rock/folk hybrid, perfectly in keeping with The Byrds' current status as pioneers of the folk rock genre. McGuinn explained "It was a standard folk song by that time, but I played it and it came out rock ‘n’ roll
because that’s what I was programmed to do like a computer. I couldn’t do it as it was traditionally. It came out with that samba
beat, and we thought it would make a good single."
The master recording
of the song reputedly took 78 takes, spread over five days of recording, to complete. The song's plea for peace and tolerance struck a nerve with the American record buying public as the Vietnam War
continued to escalate. 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. Pete Seeger
expressed his approval of the Byrd's rendition of the song. During 1965 and 1966, the band performed the song on the television program
s Hollywood A Go-Go
, Shindig!
, The Ed Sullivan Show
, and Where the Action Is
, as well as in the concert film, The Big T.N.T. Show
. Additionally, the song would go on to become a staple of The Byrds' live concert
repertoire, until their final disbandment in 1973. The song was also performed live by a reformed line-up of The Byrds featuring Roger McGuinn
, David Crosby
and Chris Hillman
in January 1989. In addition to its appearance on the Turn! Turn! Turn! album, the song also appears on several Byrds' compilations
, including The Byrds' Greatest Hits
, History of The Byrds
, The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1
, The Byrds, 20 Essential Tracks From The Boxed Set: 1965-1990, The Very Best of The Byrds
, The Essential Byrds
and There Is a Season
.
Nearly three decades after the Byrds released the song as a single, the recording was featured prominently in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump
, in the scene where the film's love interest, Jenny, says goodbye to Forrest before going back to California. The song was also featured in Jim Sheridan
's 2002 film, In America
, although it was not included on the official soundtrack. Following Joe Cocker
's cover of "With a Little Help from My Friends
", the song was the first to play on the first episode of the television series The Wonder Years
. It was also used in a Wonder Years parody, during The Simpsons
episode, "Three Men and a Comic Book
". In 2003, it was used in the closing sequence of the Cold Case episode "A Time to Hate" (Season One, episode 7).
by a number of other artists:
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
adapted entirely from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible (with the exception of the last line) and put to music by Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
in 1959. Seeger waited until 1962 to record his own version of it, releasing the song on his The Bitter and the Sweet album on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. 45% of the royalties for the song are donated to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions is an Israeli peace and human rights organization dedicated to ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories and achieving a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians...
, because, in Seeger's own words, "[in addition to the music] I did write six words."
The song became an international hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in late 1965, when it was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by the American folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and #26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Many biblical scholars believe that Ecclesiastes 1:1 implies King Solomon (born c. 1011 BC) as the book's author, but regardless of its precise origins, The Byrds' rendition of the song easily holds the record for the number 1 hit with the oldest lyrics.
Lyrics and title
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, though the sequence of the words was rearranged for the song. Ecclesiastes is traditionally ascribed to King Solomon.
The Biblical text posits there being a time and place for all things: laughter and sorrow, healing and killing, war and peace, and so on. The lines are open to myriad interpretations, but as a song they are commonly performed as a plea for world peace
World peace
World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...
, with an emphasis on 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 is notable for being one of a few instances in popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
in which a large portion of scripture is set to music, other examples being The Melodians
The Melodians
The Melodians were a reggae band formed in the Greenwich Town area of Kingston, Jamaica in 1965, by Tony Brevett , Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton...
' "Rivers of Babylon
Rivers of Babylon
"Rivers of Babylon" is a rastafarian song written and recorded by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton of the Jamaican reggae group The Melodians in 1970. The Melodians' original versions of the song appeared in the sound track to the 1972 movie The Harder They Come and the 1999 Nicolas Cage movie...
", Sister Janet Mead
Sister Janet Mead
Sister Janet Mead is a Roman Catholic nun and is best known for recording a rock version of The Lord's Prayer. The surprise hit reached #3 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1974 and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in that same year. The single earned her a Grammy Award nomination and Golden Gospel...
's "The Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer (Sister Janet Mead song)
"The Lord's Prayer" is a rock setting of the Lord's Prayer with music by Arnold Strals recorded in 1973 by the Australian nun Sister Janet Mead. Mead was known for pioneering the use of contemporary rock music in celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass and for her weekly radio programs...
", and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's "40".
The song was published in illustrated book form by Simon & Schuster in September 2003, with an accompanying CD which contained both Seeger & The Byrds recordings of the song (ISBN 0689852355 & ISBN 978-0689852350). Wendy Anderson Halperin created a set of detailed illustrations for each set of opposites which are reminiscent of mandalas. The book also includes the Ecclesiastes text from the King James version of the Bible.
Handwritten lyrics to the song were among the documents donated to New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
by the Communist Party USA
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
in March 2007.
Early folk versions
The song was first released by the folkFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group The Limeliters
The Limeliters
The Limeliters are an American folk music group, formed in July 1959 by Lou Gottlieb , Alex Hassilev , and Glenn Yarbrough . The group was active from 1959 until 1965, when they disbanded. After a hiatus of sixteen years Yarbrough, Hassilev, and Gottlieb reunited and began performing as...
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. One of The Limeliter's backing musicians at this time was Jim McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
(aka Roger McGuinn), who would later work with folk singer
Folk Singer
Folk Singer is a 1964 album by Muddy Waters. Waters plays acoustic guitar, backed by Willie Dixon on string bass, Clifton James on drums, and Buddy Guy on acoustic guitar...
Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
, rearranging the song for her 1963 album, Judy Collins 3
Judy Collins 3 (Judy Collins album)
Judy Collins #3 is an album by American folk singer Judy Collins released in 1963. It spent 10 weeks on Billboard's Top 150 album charts in 1964, peaking at #126 on May 16.-Track listing:# "Anathea"...
. Collins' recording of the song was retitled as "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)", a title that would be used intermittently by McGuinn's later band The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, when they released a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song in 1965. Austrailian folk singer Gary Shearston
Gary Shearston
Gary Shearston is an Australian singer and songwriter who was a leading figure of the folk music revival of the 1960s. He is notable as a performer of Australian traditional folk songs in an authentic style...
also recorded a version of the song for his 1964 album Songs of Our Time, under the title "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)".
The Byrds' version
"Turn! Turn! Turn!" was the third singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by the American folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and was released on October 1, 1965 by Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
(see 1965 in music
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
). The song was also included on the band's second album, Turn! Turn! Turn!
Turn! Turn! Turn! (album)
Turn! Turn! Turn! is the second album by the folk rock band The Byrds and was released in December 1965 on Columbia Records . Like its predecessor, Mr. Tambourine Man, the album epitomized the folk rock genre and continued the band's successful mix of vocal harmony and jangly twelve-string...
, which was released on December 6, 1965. The Byrds' single (b/w "She Don't Care About Time") is the most successful recorded version of the song, having reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
charts and #26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The Byrds' version distinguishes the song as the #1 pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
with the oldest lyrics, dating back to the Book of Ecclesiastes. Many biblical scholars believe Ecclesiastes 1:1 implies King Solomon as the book's author; thus, if true, giving Solomon (born c. 1011 BC) lyrical credit for a number one hit.
The song had first been arranged by The Byrds' lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist Jim McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
in a chamber-folk style during sessions
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
for Judy Collins' 1963 album, Judy Collins 3. The idea of reviving the song came to McGuinn during The Byrds' July 1965 tour of the American Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, when his future wife, Dolores, requested the tune on the Byrds' tour bus. The rendition that McGuinn dutifully played came out sounding not like a folk song but more like a rock/folk hybrid, perfectly in keeping with The Byrds' current status as pioneers of the folk rock genre. McGuinn explained "It was a standard folk song by that time, but I played it and it came out rock ‘n’ roll
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
because that’s what I was programmed to do like a computer. I couldn’t do it as it was traditionally. It came out with that samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
beat, and we thought it would make a good single."
The master recording
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
of the song reputedly took 78 takes, spread over five days of recording, to complete. The song's plea for peace and tolerance struck a nerve with the American record buying public as the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
continued to escalate. 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
Vocal harmony
Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
and jangly twelve-string
Twelve string guitar
The twelve-string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with 12 strings in 6 courses, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar...
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
guitar playing. Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
expressed his approval of the Byrd's rendition of the song. During 1965 and 1966, the band performed the song on the television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s Hollywood A Go-Go
Hollywood A Go-Go
Hollywood A Go-Go was a Los Angeles based music variety show that ran in syndication in the mid-1960s. It was hosted by Sam Riddle, with music by The Sinners and dancing by The Gazzarri Dancers.-History:...
, Shindig!
Shindig!
Shindig! was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz....
, The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, and Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is
Where the Action Is or ' was a music-based television variety show in the United States from 1965–67. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon...
, as well as in the concert film, The Big T.N.T. Show
The Big T.N.T. Show
The Big T.N.T. Show is a 1966 concert film. Directed by Larry Peerce and distributed by American International Pictures, it includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England....
. Additionally, the song would go on to become a staple of The Byrds' live concert
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
repertoire, until their final disbandment in 1973. The song was also performed live by a reformed line-up of The Byrds featuring Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
and Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
in January 1989. In addition to its appearance on the Turn! Turn! Turn! album, the song also appears on several Byrds' compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, including The Byrds' Greatest Hits
The Byrds' Greatest Hits
The Byrds' Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band The Byrds and was released in August 1967 on Columbia Records . It is the top-selling album in The Byrds' catalogue and reached #6 on the Billboard Top LPs chart but failed to break into the UK Albums Chart...
, History of The Byrds
History of The Byrds
History of The Byrds is a budget priced, double album compilation by the American rock band The Byrds and was released on May 18, 1973 by CBS Records . The compilation was released exclusively in Europe and the UK, peaking at #47 on the UK Albums Chart, but it was also available in the United...
, The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1
The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1
The Original Singles: 1965–1967, Volume 1 is a compilation album by American rock 'n' roll band The Byrds. Originally released in 1980, it offered, for the first time, all of the mono single versions of the Byrds' singles released between 1965 and early 1967...
, The Byrds, 20 Essential Tracks From The Boxed Set: 1965-1990, The Very Best of The Byrds
The Very Best of The Byrds
The Very Best of The Byrds is a compilation album by the American rock band The Byrds, released by Columbia Records in 1997. Initially the compilation was only released in Europe but as of 2006, the album has seen some release in the U.S...
, The Essential Byrds
The Essential Byrds
-Disc one:#"Mr. Tambourine Man" – 2:31#"I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better" – 2:32#"All I Really Want to Do" – 2:04#"Chimes of Freedom" – 3:51...
and There Is a Season
There Is a Season
There Is a Season is a four-CD box set by the American rock band The Byrds that was released on September 26, 2006 by Columbia/Legacy. It comprises 99 tracks and includes material from every one of the band's twelve studio albums, presented in roughly chronological order...
.
Nearly three decades after the Byrds released the song as a single, the recording was featured prominently in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
, in the scene where the film's love interest, Jenny, says goodbye to Forrest before going back to California. The song was also featured in Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee, Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Get Rich or Die Tryin and In America.-Life and career:...
's 2002 film, In America
In America
In America is a 2003 drama film directed by Jim Sheridan. The semi-autobiographical screenplay by Sheridan and his daughters Naomi and Kirsten focuses on an immigrant Irish family's efforts to survive in New York City, as seen through the eyes of the elder daughter.The film was nominated for three...
, although it was not included on the official soundtrack. Following Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
's cover of "With a Little Help from My Friends
With a Little Help from My Friends
-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
", the song was the first to play on the first episode of the television series The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
. It was also used in a Wonder Years parody, during The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode, "Three Men and a Comic Book
Three Men and a Comic Book
"Three Men and a Comic Book" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 9, 1991...
". In 2003, it was used in the closing sequence of the Cold Case episode "A Time to Hate" (Season One, episode 7).
Other cover versions
The song has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by a number of other artists:
- The SeekersThe SeekersThe Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
recorded the song for their 1966 album, Georgy GirlGeorgy GirlGeorgy Girl is a 1966 British film based on a novel by Margaret Forster. The film was directed by Silvio Narizzano and starred Lynn Redgrave as Georgy, Alan Bates, James Mason, Charlotte Rampling and Bill Owen....
(also known as Come the Day). - WelshWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
folk singer Mary HopkinMary HopkinMary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
's recording of the song was released on the B-side of her "Those Were The DaysThose Were the Days (song)"Those Were the Days" is a song credited to Gene Raskin, who put English lyrics to the Russian song "Dorogoi dlinnoyu" , written by Boris Fomin with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevskii. It deals with reminiscence upon youth and romantic idealism...
" single in 1968. She later did a Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
version, titled "Tro, Tro, Tro". - Singer and pianist Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
recorded two versions of the song, one of which was released on her 1969 album To Love SomebodyTo Love Somebody (Nina Simone album)To Love Somebody is an album by singer-songwriter/pianist Nina Simone. It was released as quickly as possible to prolong the unexpected success of Nuff Said! The title is taken from the Bee Gees song "To Love Somebody", her cover of the song became her second British hit single after "Ain't Got...
. - East German band PuhdysPuhdysThe Puhdys are a veteran German rock band, formed in Oranienburg , in what was then the German Democratic Republic, in 1969, although they had been performing together, with various lineups, as the Puhdys since 1965. They continue to record and tour...
included some of the song's lyrics in their 1974 song "Wenn ein Mensch lebt": "Jegliches hat seine Zeit, Steine sammeln - Steine zerstreuen, Bäume pflanzen - Bäume abhauen, leben und sterben und Frieden und Streit." ("Everything has its time/season, gathering stones - scattering stones, planting trees - chopping trees, life and death and peace and conflict.") - Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
recorded it in 1984 for her The Great PretenderThe Great Pretender"The Great Pretender" is a popular song recorded by The Platters, with Tony Williams on lead vocals, and released as a single on November 3, 1955. The words and music were created by Buck Ram, the Platters' manager and producer who was a successful songwriter before moving into producing and...
album, and again in 2005 for Those Were the DaysThose Were the Days (Dolly Parton album)-Charts:The album sold 57,000 copies in its first week of release.-External links:* at dollyon-line.com...
. - Dave Perkins did a cover of the song, a duet with Steve TaylorSteve TaylorRoland Stephen Taylor , is an American Christian singer, songwriter, record producer and film director.-Early life:Taylor, the eldest of three children, was born in Brawley, California. Taylor's father, Roland Taylor, was a Baptist minister. When Taylor was six years old, the family relocated to...
, on his 1987 album The Innocence. - Christian Alternative singer Nina Llopis (using only her first name) included a version of the song on her 1991 solo debut album, No Shadow of Turning.
- Michael KnottMichael KnottMichael Knott is an American singer-songwriter and frontman for various bands, many of them Christian. He has released some 35 albums, including solo albums and with bands such as LSU and Cush....
covered the song on the Lifesavers' 1995 album, A Kiss Of Life. - Larry NormanLarry NormanLarry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
covered the song on his 1998 album Copper Wires. - Canadian musician Bruce CockburnBruce CockburnBruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
covered the song on the 1998 Pete Seeger tribute album Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger. - In 1999, the JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rock group, Plastic TreePlastic TreePlastic Tree is a Japanese rock band which formed in December 1993 in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. They released their first mini-album in December 1995, and in 1997, they debuted by releasing their first single on a major label.-Biography:...
, recorded the song with new lyrics written by the vocalist Ryutaro Arimura; the cover, titled , was recorded for the single "Tremolo". - Sister Janet MeadSister Janet MeadSister Janet Mead is a Roman Catholic nun and is best known for recording a rock version of The Lord's Prayer. The surprise hit reached #3 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1974 and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in that same year. The single earned her a Grammy Award nomination and Golden Gospel...
covered the song on her 1999 album A Time to Sing. - Politically charged rock band Spy vs Spy covered the song on their 1999 compilation albumCompilation albumA compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Mugshots - The Best Of V.Spy V.Spy. - Andy SturmerAndy SturmerMarvin Andrew Sturmer is an American musical artist, writer and producer. He was one of the founding members of the band Beatnik Beatch, which led to the formation of Jellyfish.- Jellyfish :...
, lead singer and songwriter of JellyfishJellyfishJellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
, recorded a cover of the song for an unknown project. - In 2000, David PajoDavid PajoDavid Pajo is an American alternative rock musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres: hardcore, math-rock, post-rock, electronica, folk and indie-pop...
's post-rock band Papa M recorded an extended improvisation based on "Turn! Turn! Turn!", agreeing to continue playing their version of the song in a studio in Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
until the tape ran out. Their first and only take, containing no lyrics, is 16 minutes and 22 seconds long, and appears their 2004 release Hole of Burning Alms. - Canadian country music singer Jim WitterJim WitterJim Witter, born November 2, 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is an award winning country music and Christian music singer/songwriter. Ten of Witter's songs reached the top 10 on Canadian country radio.-Biography:...
covered the song for his 2003 album Forgiveness. - Aoife Ní FhearraighAoife Ní FhearraighAoife is an Irish singer and composer, born in Gweedore , northwest County Donegal. She performs Traditional Irish and New Age music, in the style of other musicians native to the Donegal area like Clannad, Moya Brennan, Enya and Altan...
covered it on her 2003 album Turning of the Tide. - The trio Wilson PhillipsWilson Phillips-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-Singles:-Other charted songs:-Awards and nominations:...
covered the song on their 2004 album CaliforniaCalifornia (Wilson Phillips album)California is the third studio album and the first cover album by American female group Wilson Phillips. The group reunited in 2003 to record it. It is their first studio album in twelve years...
. - Adrienne CampAdrienne CampAdie, or Adrienne Camp, née Liesching, is a singer and songwriter, mostly known as the lead singer of the Christian pop-rock band The Benjamin Gate before the group disbanded in 2003...
(Adie) recorded the song on September 26, 2006 for her album Don't Wait, released through BEC RecordingsBEC RecordingsBEC Recordings is a Christian rock record label that is a subsidiary of Tooth and Nail Records. The label was formed in 1997 in partnership with the EMI Christian Music Group....
. - Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, during the 2006 tour to promote his album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger SessionsWe Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions-Personnel:* Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, B-3 organ, and percussion* Sam Bardfeld – violin* Art Baron – tuba* Frank Bruno – guitar* Jeremy Chatzky – upright bass* Mark Clifford – banjo...
, performed the song on occasion. Roger McGuinnRoger McGuinnJames Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
subsequently appeared with Springsteen and the E Street Band at their OrlandoOrlando, FloridaOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
show in 2008; McGuinn came onstage to perform a short set that included "Turn! Turn! Turn!" and "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
". - Singer and songwriter Amy GrantAmy GrantAmy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
closed each show of her 20th Anniversary Lead Me On tour in 2008 with a cover of the song. - New AgeNew Age musicNew Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
pianist David LanzDavid LanzDavid Lanz is a Grammy-nominated New Age pianist. His most popular album, Cristofori's Dream, topped the New Age charts in 1988, which was No. 1 on Billboard's first adult alternative/New Age chart for 27 weeks and eventually sold platinum. Natural States peaked at No...
covered the song from his 2008 album Painting the Sun. - American New Age pianist Lorie LineLorie LineLorie Line is a pianist and performer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She grew up in Reno, Nevada playing the piano. She obtained B.A. in Music from the University of Nevada...
has recorded the song for her CD Heritage Collection #3. - Canadian rock band Red Umbrella covered the song on their album Living and Surviving, released in 2008.
- Chris de BurghChris de BurghChris de Burgh is a British/Irish singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1986 love song "The Lady in Red".-Early life:...
covered the song on his album Footsteps, a compilation of folk and pop classics from the 1950s, 60s and 70s released in mainland Europe in November 2008 and due to be released in Canada and the UK in March 2009. - Scottish indie-pop group Belle and Sebastian frequently cover the song during live performances.
- American musician Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
recently covered the song live while touring in 2010. A few verses were included during her performance of her song, "Secret Spell", which can be found on her ninth album, American Doll PosseAmerican Doll PosseAmerican Doll Posse is the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos; it was released in 2007. Like her previous albums Strange Little Girls and Scarlet's Walk , American Doll Posse is a concept album, which entails five female personae Amos developed based on Greek mythology. Musically,...
. - French pop singer Sylvie Vartan covered the song in Tourne tourne tourne from her 1966 album Il y a 2 filles en moi