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Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)

Pete Seeger
Language: English


Pete Seeger

List of versions


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[1954]
Lyrics Pete Seeger, Ecclesiastes 3,1-8, King James' Version
Music by Pete Seeger
Album: The Bitter and the Sweet [1962]
Byrds' Recording: 1965
Testo: Pete Seeger, Ecclesiaste (Qohelet) 3,1-8
Album: The Bitter and the Sweet [1962]
Incisione dei Byrds: 1965


ByrdsTurn


Questa canzone di Pete Seeger fu portata al successo dai Byrds nel 1965.
Il testo è tratto dal libro biblico dell'Ecclesiaste, 3:1-8 ("Per ogni cosa c'è il suo momento, c'è il suo tempo per ogni faccenda sotto il cielo...").
In realtà il testo non esclude la dolorosa constatazione che in alcuni casi la violenza e la guerra possano essere l'unica risposta, tuttavia il messaggio di Seeger è chiaramente pacifista, come indica la scelta di chiudere la canzone sull'ultimo verso (l'unico in cui Seeger si discosta dal testo biblico) "A time for peace, I swear it's not too late". Se è vero che c'è un tempo per ogni cosa, un tempo per la guerra e un tempo per la pace, è l'uomo che può scegliere di cambiare scegliendo la pace. Non è troppo tardi.

This song by Pete Seeger was popularized in 1965 by The Byrds. It is commonly interpreted as an admonishing plea for world peace, framed in a reading from the Old Testament's Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 ("To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under Heaven..."). Closer inspection of the lyrics, however, may indicate a painful recognition that sometimes killing and war might be the only answer, but he last line, original with Seeger, reads as follows: "A time for peace, I swear it's not too late."


"Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)", often abbreviated to "Turn! Turn! Turn!", is a song written and composed by Pete Seeger in the 1950s. Seeger waited until 1962 to record it, releasing the song on his album The Bitter and The Sweet on Columbia Records.

The lyrics are taken almost verbatim from the King James version of the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1–8). 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 stress on the closing line: "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late," the latter phrase being the only part of the lyric written by Seeger himself.

The song is one of a few mainstream songs to set a large portion of scripture to music, other examples being Boney M's "Rivers of Babylon", Sister Janet Mead's "The Lord's Prayer (Sister Janet Mead song)" and U2's ""40""

Handwritten lyrics to the song were among the documents donated to New York University by the Communist Party USA in March 2007.

The song first appeared several months before the Seeger version, on an album by the folk group The Limeliters on RCA Records, Folk Matinee, under the title "To Everything There Is a Season". One of their backing musicians, Jim McGuinn (a.k.a. Roger McGuinn), would later work with folk singer Judy Collins, rearranging the song to suit her style, now entitled "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)", for her Elektra album of 1964, Judy Collins #3.

forrestgumpThe most successful recorded version of the song is the chart-topping single by McGuinn's pioneering folk-rock band The Byrds, released in October of 1965. Featuring the characteristic "jingle-jangle" sound of Roger McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker guitar, this recording is considered by many to be one of the defining records of the entire decade[2]. Nearly three decades after the Byrds released the song as a single, the recording featured prominently in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump.

After Joe Cocker's With a Little Help from My Friends, the song was the first to play on the first episode of The Wonder Years series.

The song has been covered by a number of other artists.

* The Seekers recorded the song for their 1966 album Georgy Girl (also known as Come the Day)
* Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin, appearing as the flipside of her Paul McCartney-produced international smash hit single from 1968, Those Were the Days.
* Country music singer Dolly Parton recorded it in 1984 for her The Great Pretender album, and again in 2005 for Those Were the Days, thereby duplicating both sides from Hopkin's single.
* In 2000, David Pajo's post-rock band Papa M recorded an extra-long improvisation based on "Turn! Turn! Turn!," agreeing to continue playing their version of the song in a studio in Portland, Oregon until the tape ran out. Their first and only take, containing no lyrics, is 16 minutes and 22 seconds long and can be found on their 2004 release Hole of Burning Alms.
* Singer and pianist Nina Simone recorded two versions of the song, one of which was released on her hit album To Love Somebody (1969).
* Canadian country music singer Jim Witter covered the song for his 2003 album Forgiveness.
* Adrienne Camp (Adie) has also recorded the song, which was released on her album Don't Wait, on September 26, 2006. Don't Wait was released through BEC Recordings.
* Bruce Springsteen, during the 2006 tour with the Seeger sessions band, covering Springsteen's release We Shall Overcome, Springsteen played the song incidentally.
* Sister Janet Mead has covered the song on her album A Time to Sing.
* Dave Perkins did a cover of the song, a duet with Steve Taylor, on his 1987 album "The Innocence."

en.wikipedia
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 weep

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

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

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

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

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

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late

2005/8/22 - 21:56




Language: Italian

Versione italiana, largamente basata sulla traduzione italiana dell'Ecclesiaste (versione C.E.I. / Gerusalemme)
CAMBIA! CAMBIA! CAMBIA! (PER OGNI COSA C'È LA SUA STAGIONE)

Per ogni cosa (cambia! cambia! cambia!)
c'è la sua stagione,
ed un tempo per ogni faccenda sotto il cielo.

Un tempo per nascere e un tempo per morire,
un tempo per piantare e un tempo per sradicare
un tempo per uccidere e un tempo per guarire,
un tempo per ridere e un tempo per piangere

Per ogni cosa (cambia! cambia! cambia!)
c'è la sua stagione,
ed un tempo per ogni faccenda sotto il cielo.

Un tempo per costruire e un tempo per demolire
un tempo per ballare e un tempo per gemere
un tempo per gettare sassi e un tempo per raccoglierli

Per ogni cosa (cambia! cambia! cambia!)
c'è la sua stagione,
ed un tempo per ogni faccenda sotto il cielo.

Un tempo d'amore, un tempo d'odio
un tempo di guerra, un tempo di pace
un tempo per abbracciare e un tempo per astenersi dagli abbracci

Per ogni cosa (cambia! cambia! cambia!)
c'è la sua stagione,
ed un tempo per ogni faccenda sotto il cielo.

Un tempo per vincere, un tempo per perdere
un tempo per stracciare, un tempo per cucire,
un tempo per amare, un tempo per odiare
un tempo per la pace, giuro che non è troppo tardi

2005/8/22 - 22:25




Language: English

Ecclesiastes 3,1-8
King James' Version
To every thing
there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

Contributed by Riccardo Venturi - 2008/1/24 - 14:14




Language: Italian

Versione italiana / Italian version / Version italienne / Italiankielinen versio: Gianni Barnini

E' una cover metrica, cantabile con qualche piccola licenza che però non cambia, credo, il messaggio originale
VAI! VAI! VAI!

Per ogni cosa (vai! vai! vai!) c’è una stagione (vai! vai! vai!)
E c’è un momento per ogni scopo sotto il cielo
Un tempo di guerra un tempo di pace
Un tempo infinito un tempo fugace
Un tempo di male un tempo di cura
Un tempo per ridere e per la paura

Per ogni cosa (vai! vai! vai!) c’è una stagione (vai! vai! vai!)
E c’è un momento per ogni scopo sotto il cielo
Un tempo di noia un tempo di canti
Un tempo di gioia un tempo di pianti
Un tempo di quiete e di corse sfrenate
Un tempo di vita e poi di cose mai nate

Per ogni cosa (vai! vai! vai!) c’è una stagione (vai! vai! vai!)
E c’è un momento per ogni scopo sotto il cielo
Un tempo di gloria un tempo di pena
Un tempo di magra un tempo di piena
Un tempo di belle canzoni
Un tempo di sogni e un tempo di delusioni

Per ogni cosa (vai! vai! vai!) c’è una stagione (vai! vai! vai!)
E c’è un momento per ogni scopo sotto il cielo
Un tempo di festa un tempo di lutti
Un tempo per pochi un tempo per tutti
Un tempo di tanto un tempo di niente
Un tempo di amore per tutta la gente

Contributed by Gianni Barnini - 2021/1/15 - 16:56




Language: English

Additional verses by Toshi Seeger
Strofe aggiuntive di Toshi Seeger
Pete & Toshi Seeger con i due figli Daniel e Mika
Pete & Toshi Seeger con i due figli Daniel e Mika


Nel 1954 la moglie di Pete Seeger scrisse cinque divertenti strofe della canzone per cantarla ai due figli.

Pete and Toshi Seeger


Toshi Seeger è morta pochi mesi prima del marito, nel luglio dell'anno scorso, a 91 anni, mancando di poco i 70 anni di matrimonio.
A time for work, a time for play
A time for night, a time for day
A time to sleep, a time to wake
A time for candles on the cake.

A time to dress, a time to eat
A time to sit and rest your feet
A time to teach, a time to learn
A time for all to take their turn.

A time to cry and make a fuss
A time to leave and catch the bus
A time for quiet, a time for talk
A time to run, a time to walk.

A time to get, a time to give
A time to remember, a time to forgive
A time to hug, a time to kiss
A time to close your eyes and wish.

A time for dirt, a time for soap
A time for tears, a time for hope
A time for fall, a time for spring
A time to hear the robins sing.

2014/1/30 - 23:37


Small thing, missed one, second verse, "A timer to teach, a time to learn" . . . a timer to teach? . . . short attention span cure? ;-)

Otto Bartsch - 2017/7/26 - 18:01


Ciao bradiponi!

Son passati più di due anni da quando Otto Bartsch rilevava un errore nel terzo verso della seconda scrofa...

Oink! Oink!

B.B. - 2020/1/26 - 22:11


A time to read, a time to fix
the typos in the lyrics...

AWS Staff - 2020/1/26 - 23:01


B.B. - 2020/1/26 - 23:10




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