Pete Seeger Wrote Classic Rock’s Most Ironic Song

Some classic rock songs are more ironic than they might initially appear. For example, a Pete Seeger song seems to undermine Seeger’s stated ideology. Interestingly, the tune might be more associated with a different artist even though Seeger wrote it.

Pete Seeger wrote a song that quotes King Solomon

Seeger’s most famous composition is “Turn! Turn! Turn!” While Seeger penned the track, the cover by The Byrds is far more famous than the original That’s not too surprising, as many hit songs from the 1960s were covers. For example, The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” were both recordings of songs by less famous artists.

What makes “Turn! Turn! Turn!” different from most hits is that it was based on a passage from the Bible. Specifically, the track is derived from the Book of Ecclesiastes, a book of the Old Testament that is traditionally attributed to King Solomon. The Bible’s influence on literature cannot be overstated, but “Turn! Turn! Turn!” is one of the only examples of the Bible influencing the pop charts.

And yet, this feels a little ironic. Seeger was one of the only American celebrities to espouse communism. Communism has been trying to undermine, if not destroy, religion for a long time. It’s odd that a communist would write a song based on the most popular religious text in the history of humanity.

Pete Seeger had his own definition of God

However, Seeger was a bit of an unconventional communist. During a 2006 interview with Beliefnet, Seeger said that he once identified as an atheist, but now he simply had a different definition of God than most people. Seeger professed to believe God is everything. While he doesn’t use the term, Seeger seemed to be describing a form of pantheism.

Seeger also joined a Unitarian Universalist Church just so he could use their rehearsal space. He didn’t see that as slimy. Ultimately, the folk singer had a good relationship with the Unitarian Universalist Church. That’s not too surprising, as the Unitarian Universalist Church is very progressive and welcomes people of all religions and none.

How the song was written

Seeger discussed how he came to write a song based on the Bible. “I was leafing through it when I came on that poem. I just leafed through it by chance,” he said. “Maybe God led me to it. Who knows?”

Seeger read the Bible regularly but not reverently. “I leaf through it quite often — if only to shake my head in disgust,” he revealed. “I quote Leviticus to people who think that every word in the Bible is absolutely gospel and you need to obey every word. In Leviticus, it says you must kill a bull if you’re going to really love God. And you must kill it in a certain way, or else you will be killed.”

Seeger was asked if he had a favorite song. “At one time I have a favorite song, the one I’m singing,” he explained. “But I find myself as an old man singing ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’ more than I ever did because it does have so many meanings for me.”

Regardless of its origins, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” is a beautiful musical interpretation of a Bible passage.