There are undoubtedly many songs which have utilized biblical verses within their lyrics, yet the song you are most likely referring to is “Turn, Turn, Turn (to Everything There is a Season)” by a group called the Byrds. All of the lyrics to this song (with the exception of, “Turn, turn, turn” and the very last verse, “I swear it’s not too late”) are taken directly from the third chapter of the Book of Ecclesiastes, verses one through eight.
Folk singer Pete Seeger originally set these verses to music in 1959 and recorded it as an acoustic piece. He added the, “Turn, turn, turn” chorus to emphasis how time and seasons change as the earth constantly rotates and the, “I swear it’s not to late” in part to offer hope amidst the threat of nuclear annihilation during the height of the Cold War. Then, with the popularity of the Beatles and the so-called British Invasion, the American folk-rock group The Byrds, recorded and released an electric version of this song in 1965 which rocketed to number one on the music billboard charts.
Interestingly, since the Book of Ecclesiastes is thought to have been written by King Solomon about one thousand years before Christ, it makes this song to be the only hit single with lyrics that old!
