Solomon and The Turning!

Pete Seeger speaking about the writing of Turn! Turn! Turn!
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Click or copy/paste to hear Pete Seeger singing his version of Turn! Turn Turn!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbPl91kTFro


The Byrds more well-known version of Turn! Turn! Turn!

Time- it doesn't stand still! I bought a new clock yesterday- mine was speeding up as our lives do. This is from July 1, 2013. My reading this morning from the Once A Day Bible was the first six chapters of Ecclesiastes. I'm a little behind, about ten days worth, but I hope to catch up on my mission trip to Vietnam which begins this coming Sunday. Of course, the best known part of this book penned by King Solomon is the third chapter and these words:

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

² A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³ A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

What thoughts of wisdom when it comes to the balance and the rhythm of life that so easily frustrates us in our hurry to accomplish everything on our own time table! Late in the 1950's, legendary folksinger Pete Seeger set Solomon's scriptures to music and recorded his own version in 1962. In 1965, the folk rock band The Byrds popularized the song with its more rock-like rendition which remains the most well-known version of Turn! Turn! Turn! which incidentally was first entitled To Everything There Is a Season when released  by The Limelighters several months before Seeger put out his own version. Seeger only injected the title phrase and the line, "I swear it's not too late." Everything else is straight from Solomon. Wow- think of the royalties he has coming to him! Fortunately, we read in the scripture he was the richest king ever so I guess he got by. Besides, I doubt he  ever heard of the Billboard Top 100!

Applicable quote of the day:

“Songs won’t save the planet, but neither will books or speeches. Songs are sneaky things; they can slip across borders.”

Pete Seeger  God bless, Steve Luke 18:1 www.hawleybooks.com E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com