Seeger acknowledged King Solomon in writing 'Turn! Turn! Turn!'
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Today's Morning Edition music is from "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" by the Byrds, which was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 50 years ago Wednesday.
The title and the melody were written by Pete Seeger. He took the rest from the King James translation of the Old Testament's Book of Ecclesiastes. The author of Ecclesiastes is thought to have been King Solomon.
To acknowledge his co-author, Seeger arranged to have 45 percent of the song's royalties donated to a favorite charity, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.