Turn Turn Turn
Bruce Springsteen and Roger McGuinn Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen and Roger McGuinn's song Turn Turn Turn are rich in meaning and depth. The main theme of the song is the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of change. The repetition of "to everything, there is a season" emphasizes this point, suggesting that every experience in life, no matter how joyful or sorrowful, has its time and place.


The opening lines of the song set the tone of the cyclical nature of life by repeating "turn, turn, turn" several times. The lyrics then go on to list a series of contrasting experiences that each has its appointed time. These include birth and death, planting and reaping, laughter and weeping, building up and breaking down, love and hate, peace and war, gaining and losing, and so on. The song is a reminder that life is full of ups and downs, and that we must be willing to accept and embrace change as it comes.


The final verse of the song is a call to action, urging the listener to embrace love and peace before it's too late. This is a powerful message that still resonates today, and reminds us that, no matter what challenges we face, it's never too late to make a change.


Line by Line Meaning

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
Everything has its own cycle


There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
Everything goes through different stages


And a time for every purpose, under heaven
Every action has an appropriate time and place


A time to be born, a time to die
Birth and death are natural parts of life


A time to plant, a time to reap
There is a time to sow and a time to harvest


A time to kill, a time to heal
There are times of violence and times of healing


A time to laugh, a time to weep
Life is a mixture of joy and sorrow


To everything (turn, turn, turn)
Cycles repeat themselves


There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
Everything happens in its own time


And a time for every purpose, under heaven
Everything serves a specific purpose


A time to build up,a time to break down
There are times for growth and times for destruction


A time to dance, a time to mourn
Life is a combination of celebration and sorrow


A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together
There is a time to let go and a time to gather resources


To everything (turn, turn, turn)
The cycle continues


There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
Everything has a purpose


And a time for every purpose, under heaven
Everything fits into a larger plan


A time of love, a time of hate
There are times of peace and times of conflict


A time of war, a time of peace
The world undergoes cycles of war and peace


A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing
There is a time for intimacy and a time for distance


To everything (turn, turn, turn)
The cycle starts once more


There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
Everything repeats itself eventually


And a time for every purpose, under heaven
Everything has a reason and a purpose


A time to gain, a time to lose
There are times of success and times of failure


A time to rend, a time to sew
There are times of destruction and times of creation


A time to love, a time to hate
The world undergoes cycles of emotions


A time for peace, I swear it's not too late
Even in times of conflict, there is hope for peace




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER SEEGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@rossgill7462

One of those signature opening guitar riffs that sends shivers up your spine.

@charmicarmicat2981

Ross Gill it really is.

@alexr.3919

so true.

@justanotherperson584

Still

@AnnaZombi

I dunno I feel like he would rather be doing another song.

@oliviercalmel2

Ross Gill like on Mr Tambourine man

9 More Replies...

@ShipwreckTownBand

Absolute magic. Roger has not lost a step. The delight of Springsteen and Miami Steve throughout, but especially when Roger nails the solo, is palpable. Springsteen's harmonies couldn't be more beautiful. Is there anything this man can't do?!? PS to fosbury68: Max's drumming, especially the cymbal work, was perfect. What do you want- Billy Cobham?

@direwolf6234

absolutely ... the crown work on the cymbals was killer ...

@dannilaser16

Holy crap! Just found this gem.
Bruce, I’ve always been impressed by talent, but now,I’m even more so.Roger has always been a superstar, but I’m so glad to hear two of my favorite singers get together for this incredible song.
Congrats!

@montemichelbleu

Stunning. The respect given to McGuinn (and reverence for The Byrds) is so apparent. They truly played this as a back-up band. Tore me up. Wow....

More Comments

More Versions