Song Lyric Sunday: To Everything…

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For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, as his post Existential Thoughts tells us,  Jim is inviting us to play a song that makes us think about life. My first thought was to go with George Harrison’s What Is Life and the wonderful video that was made for it a few years ago, but I have a feeling I know someone else who may be playing that, so I sought out something else. Two somethings, in fact.

My lead song is one that I’ve loved since I first heard it, way back in 1965:

The song was ‘written’ by Pete Seeger, based on verses from Ecclesiastes in the Bible, but The Byrds did the version I know best. Here are its lyrics:

To everything, turn, turn, turnThere is a season, turn, turn, turnAnd a time to every purpose under heaven
 
A time to be born, a time to dieA time to plant, a time to reapA time to kill, a time to healA time to laugh, a time to weep
 
To everything, turn, turn, turnThere is a season, turn, turn, turnAnd a time to every purpose, under heaven
 
A time to build up, a time to break downA time to dance, a time to mournA time to cast away stonesA time to gather stones together
 
To everything, turn, turn, turnThere is a season, turn, turn, turnAnd a time to every purpose under heaven
 
A time of love, a time of hateA time of war, a time of peaceA time you may embraceA time to refrain from embracing
 
To everything, turn, turn, turnThere is a season, turn, turn, turnAnd a time to every purpose under heaven
 
A time to gain, a time to loseA time to rend, a time to sewA time for love, a time for hateA time for peace, I swear it’s not too late
 
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Peter Seeger
 
I’m not a religious person but those words carry tremendous meaning, and I think they really get to the heart of what our existence here on Earth comprises. In just under three minutes everything is covered. Turn! Turn! Turn! was released as a single in the US on 1 October 1965 and in the UK on 29 October – I’ve no idea why there was a delay, but that happened with every record they released, both singles and albums. This topped the US Singles chart but only made #26 here. It was their third single of that year, after Mr Tambourine Man (US #1, UK #1) and All I Really Want To Do (US #40, UK #4), so that chart placing is surprisingly low for a classic like this. Actually, as far as the UK Singles chart goes, they only had a few further hits, which I’ve always thought of as being an act of criminality by the British record-buying public. Or maybe we saw them as an albums band, as they had a fair deal of success in the UK Albums chart, including with the one on which this was included: Turn! Turn! Turn! (the album) came out in December 1965 in the US and in March 1966 in the UK. It reached #17 in the US but did better here in the UK, where it peaked at #11. Although Pete Seeger takes the writing credit for this most of the lyrics are lifted verbatim from Ecclesiastes. The Biblical text says that there is 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  interpretation, 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. 

I’m playing a second song today. This one looks at life from a retrospective viewpoint, in which the songwriter is telling us about his own life and some memories from it. I expect you will know this one:

Although I think that concert performance is later, Joe Walsh released Life’s Been Good in May 1978 on his fourth album, But Seriously, Folks… which made #8 in the US Albums chart and #16 in the UK. I bought it back then, and played it a lot. The song was released as a single in a trimmed down four minute version, which peaked at #12 in the US and #14 in the UK. It was also featured in the movie FM and was included on the soundtrack album – a double, with some fantastic tracks on it (also part of my collection). This one is far from serious, depicting the rock star lifestyle: Joe satirically reflects on its antics and excesses, with nods to drummer Keith Moon of the Who and others: “I live in hotels, tear out the walls/I have accountants pay for it all”, and “My Maserati does one-eighty-five/I lost my license, now I don’t drive”, based on his own experience. It is a great song and I’ve always liked the way he sends himself and others up. It’s a rather different take on life, but one which I think gets us all to reflect on whether being a rock star is as good a life as it seems. Be honest, we all wanted to be a rock star when we were growing up, didn’t we? Maybe we are better off with our mundane ordinary lives after all!

I promised you two songs, but just before I go, in case Nancy doesn’t play this here is a link to the George Harrison song, with two wonderfully exuberant dancers. I love this!

That’s it from me for today. See you again for Tuesday Tunes, if I can think of a theme by then! 😊

65 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: To Everything…”

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  6. Classic song.

    I was very much a Byrds fan back ‘then’ and stuck with them up with ‘Dr Byrds and Mr Hyde’, through all the explosions and implosions. Too many very talented folk in one band with very differing agendas I guess.

    It was said in some quarters at the time The Byrds made Bob Dylan songs listenable, and others would say they were the folk-rock pioneers. Being Welsh I was very pleased with their take on the poem ‘Bells of Rhymney’ (giving them a free pass on pronouncing ‘Rhymeny’ as ‘Rimneee’ instead of ‘Rumnee’).

    The great injustice though… ‘Eight Miles High’ not being seen at the time as the classic it was destined to become. (Even at 14 -🎵going on 15🎵) I could tell it was about a bunch of Americans from the sunny West Coast meeting British weather.

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    • It is a classic, isn’t it. I liked their Dylan covers too, a favourite is My Back Pages. It’s interesting how the term ‘folk-rock’ means different things. In the States it was the likes of The Byrds and CSN, here it was Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span.

      Eight Miles High is a classic in anyone’s book!

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      • Jim..then… Roger McGuinn’s Rickenbacker brought a whole new layer.
        Yes it is interesting those differences. My own opinion is that it’s down to the cultures. The popularisation of British folk was mixed somewhere with Skiffle and of course Rock, though the material had its roots way back in the medieval times, with a mix of tales, common folk satire and their worries.
        Suddenly young folk were delving into what had been the preserve of local singers and music historians.
        US folk it seems had the harder political of a nation still new and delivered much to the protest songs….Meanwhile another more conservative strand of people’s voices was turning up in ‘Country’.
        And let us not forget ‘The Blues’, ‘The Spirituals’ or the music brought in to the US by other waves of immigrants.
        At their roots, all of the originals- Troubadours.
        Fascinating stuff.

        Talking of the legendary Eight Miles High did you ever hear the Golden Earring’s take on their album of the same name? Being in step with those times it took up an entire side of one album (As did the Byrds on ‘Untitled’)

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      • Cultures and history: we had them, the Yanks less so. I’ve started a series of posts about the way folk songs tell stories: it’s a rich seam!

        I’ve not heard that Golden Earring one. I saw them live in 1973 but they didn’t play it. I’ll see if I can find it.

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      • Just the two so far, if you’re interested: Telling A Story and The Story Of Tam Lin.

        Thanks for the link. Just about to play it now, and I’ve found it in my Apple Music library on an album called The Long Versions Part 2 👍

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  7. Since all were big hits here, I remember them all. I prefer Turn! Turn! Turn! and What is Life over Life’s Been Good. I know he played guitars and keyboards for The Eagles, one of my favorite all-time bands, but I would much rather listen to Don Henley, Glen Frey, Randy Meisner, or Timothy B. Schmit when it comes to singing.

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  8. Clive, any of the three is a great choice. I would not have minded a George Harrison song. “All things must pass” is an outstanding album and does not get the credit it deserves. The Byrds made a Pete Seeger song even more special, as they did with one of Dylan’s. And, Joe Walsh’s body of music is not insignificant. This is one of several great choices. Well done. Keith

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    • Thank you, Keith, I’m glad you enjoyed this. The Byrds did this far better than Pete Seeger, to my ears, and they also improved quite a lot of Dylan’s too. Mr Tambourine Man is probably the obvious example but they had a whole album of them!

      The brief was to play a song about life and I’ve always liked Joe Walsh’s wry take on it.

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  14. Excellent song choices, Clive! The Byrds tune is a classic with a message we should all get behind …. religious affiliation not required, although the Bible text is a glorious one! 😇
    Appreciate you giving me ‘space’, LOL; as it turns out, I didn’t go with George either, opting for something a bit more personal. ♡
    Great post! 😊

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  17. Two very reflective choices today Clive well done. I really thought the world was going to turn out better when I was younger with songs like Turn, Turn, Turn, but it seems very little has changed, and the world may even have turned out worse. Joe Walsh created the ultimate rock star song with this, but unlike you I never saw myself as being a rock star although hanging out with them backstage did cross my mind a few times.

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    • Thanks, Jim. I took a while picking these so I’m pleased you like them. I agree – the world isn’t a better place, still just as much war, hatred and destruction as before. I gave up the dream of being a rock star when I realised I couldn’t sing or play an instrument 😊

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  21. OK, I’ll share a fun fact: Joe Walsh is my neighbor! That said, considering how much he is traveling for what its supposed to be the last Eagles tour, we never see him! Great song choices of course…speaking of Eagles, “Life IN The Fast Lane” would work!

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  24. I bought Life’s Been Good; I really liked Joe Walsh and apart from it’s strong satirical take on life as a rock star, it’s got a vibrant feel to it that really appeals.

    I wonder if Turn, Turn, Turn suffered a little in comparison to the more upbeat, pop feel of the previous two hits you mentioned. Anyway, it stands the test of time well.

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    • It was a good album, wasn’t it.

      You may be right about Turn Turn Turn, or perhaps the British public were beginning to look elsewhere for their jangly guitar music? I was surprised that this one was as low as that, but they did very little in our singles chart after it.

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