“The Time of the Turning” by Peter Gabriel is a song about change and the inevitability of transformation. The first stanza describes a serene, idyllic setting, with a big house and walls that are white and blue. Outside, the earth is fertile and green, and the winds are blowing. However, something is stirring outside, and it’s the time of turning. The second stanza describes how the earth breaks like stale bread, and the seeds are folded into the soil. The sun pours, the rains fall, and the roots reach out through the ground. This is a metaphor for the process of transformation and the rebirth of the natural world.
The chorus emphasizes the message of the song, which is that the old world is falling, and we must learn to say our goodbyes. There’s nothing we can do to stop the next emerging era, and we must adapt to change. The third stanza is about survival. If we can stand up when all else falls down, we’ll last through the winter, the storms, and the north winds that bring down the ice and snow. We’ll last through the long nights until the green field’s growing again. This is a metaphor for the ability to adapt to change and endure difficult times, which will ultimately lead to growth and renewal.
Overall, the song’s meaning is a call to action for listeners to embrace change, say goodbye to the old world, and adapt to the next era. It’s a reminder that transformation is a natural part of life and that we must learn to endure difficult times to emerge stronger on the other side.
LYRICS
Did you see it move
There’s something there
It’s in this very cloth that I weave
In the most peculiar ways that we behave
It’s the time of the turning and the old world’s falling
Nothing you can do can stop the next emerging
The time of the turning and we’d better learn to say our goodbyes
It’s the time of the turning and there’s something stirring outside
If you stop for a moment you can feel it all slipping away
It’s the time of the turning and the old world’s falling
Nothing you can do can stop the next emerging
Time of the turning and we’d better learn to say our goodbyes
