這首歌是Pete Seeger所寫，1962由The Limeliters樂團以原歌名《To Everything There Is a Season》首錄發行。幾個月後，Pete Seeger也推出了自己的版本，兩者都屬於是民謠曲風。1965由美國民謠搖滾樂隊The Byrds翻唱，並將歌名改為《Turn Turn Turn》，進榜六週後即竄升至冠軍寶座，也使得這首歌成為世界的熱門流行曲。

這首歌較為人樂道的是它的歌詞，因絕大部份都是來自於聖經中的傳道書( Ecclesiastes---相傳為所羅門王所著 ) 中的內容：

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Pete Seeger依此將其中內容重作編排，只除了在歌尾新加了一句〈I swear it's not too late〉。後來，Pete Seeger將此首歌曲版稅的45%捐給了倡導和平及人權的組織ICAHD ( Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions )，為此他說：『對於歌曲所附加的，我只是寫了六個字。』