The Byrds and I (Part Two)

The Byrds and I is a series of essays chronicling the story of my life through each album from my favorite band. Previously, I wrapped my thoughts around 1965's Mr. Tambourine Man.

Part Two: Turn Turn Turn (1965)

Re-reading what I've thus far written and hoped to pass off as part two of this series, I can't help but feel a little bit unsatisfied with what I've put down. It feels a bit unfocused to me - but at the same time I think it reflects a very honest portrayl of what my writing used to read like. I actually haven't tackled such a writing assignment in some time, so as this series of essays procedes, I may have to again go through that fine artistic task of finding one's voice. Consider this a transitional piece, in which I will present many ideas that will be developed more profoundly later on. That is rather fitting because Turn!Turn!Turn! does pretty much the same thing - at least that's how I like to look at it.

Released just months of Mr. Tambourine Man, Turn!Turn!Turn came at the height of the band's "America's Answer to the Beatles" status. It would be their last genuine folk rock effort and while not predicting the psychedelic direction the band would soon take, it did nicely close the first chapter of the band's history. They finally mastered "It Won't Be Wrong," a tune that had been developing since their earliest sessions, eventually becoming a jangly love song with two distinct yet complimentary parts. The chorus, one could argue, hinted at the alt-country the band would pioneer years later. McGuin truly came into his own as a songwriter with his JFK-eulogy, "He Was a Friend of Mine." Perhaps he was unsatisfied with the initial results, though, as it would later be re-recorded by two different formations of the band. There's a rather perplexing cover of "Oh! Suzanna," but as stated before, McGuin was interested in all kinds of music and had no pretense about covering a folk song of any nature or origin. In fact, his work today consists primarily of sharing traditional folk songs with internet listeners. Of course, the band was still re-working Dylan and attempted to rock out both "The Times They Are A'Changin'" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." Only the latter made the cut, as "Baby Blue" would not show up until McGuin was the last Byrd standing.

Of course, it was in covering Pete Seeger - not Dylan - that the Byrds managed to find their defining moment. Unlike the "Tambourine Man" cover which seemed to strip the meaning of the original in place of pop catchiness, the pop-like nature of "Turn Turn Turn" actually seemed to make the song more meaningful. Lyrically, such biblical words have never managed to move me, except when coming from the mouths of the four part harmony. With each line met with a "Turn Turn Turn" they sing, "to everything/ there is a season/ and a time for every purpose/ under heaven/ a time." They continue, "A time to be born, a time to die, time to plant, a time to reap, a time to, kill, a time to heal, A time to laugh, a time to weep," and, really, more honest words were probably never spoken. Though I don't consider myself a religious person in any sense, I can't help but find peace in the song's philosophy. It didn't quite resonate with me in such a way initially, but after hearing it at a funeral years later, it's doubtful I will ever forget that melody. If it sounds at all familiar, I'm guessing you recall it from The Wonder Years, which seems to establish the fact that something in the song's opening triggers a rather universal emotion.

Of course, "The Wonder Years Effect" seems to drum up notions of of nostalgia, and sentimentality, two things lacking from how I look at my childhood. In fact the Byrds weren't quite my soundtrack, but instead, my release. Getting lost in their records and learning every detail of their history was a nice distraction from the confusion that seemed to fill my hours before I would get home to the safety of my cd player. Explaining this will take some time, but I think it's best to start by introducing some of the defining factors in my life. My brother Charlie was born five years after me and though not initially a music nut such as myself, he's certainly developed into a full-fledged one now. I can't help but want to take a little credit for that, seeing as how - when it came to my brother - I always wanted to lead by example. At the core, our relationship has always been strong but each of us has been prone to become very annoyed with the other on numerous occasions. When our parents got divorced, I was ten and he was five. My father moved out, and while he stayed in the picture, the three of us often felt as though we were all we had. My mother first worked in my elementary school library before eventually settling as a manager at a bookstore, while I spent a great deal of time keeping an eye on my brother. This was fine by me, as the bond we formed quickly proved much more important than the frivolous activities associated with a teenage social life. In fact, as I taught my brother how to play baseball and introduced him to my various interests, I'm came to feel as if I was fulfilling the positive older male roll.

Of course, in my ability to grow up very quickly, I lost sense of what it actually meant to grow up, and while I felt confident in what I believed to be wisdom beyond my years, I also felt completely lost. I then retreated into the wonders of my own head, a space where bad song lyrics and pretty decent television plots fostered and grew. It wasn't until years later that I actually got to see them realized in a visual sense, but looking back, I am rather grateful to have had so much time alone with my thoughts. I highly doubt I'd be who I am now without that.