"Simple Gifts" is an 1848 Shaker song by Elder Joseph Brackett.  Brackett was born in Cumberland, Maine, on May 6, 1797. He first joined the Shakers at Gorham, Maine, when his father's farm helped to form the nucleus of a new Shaker settlement. In 1819, Joseph moved with the other Shakers to Poland Hill, Maine.  He later served as first minister of Maine Shaker societies, as well as Church Elder at New Gloucester, Maine, now known as Sabbathday Lake, the last remaining Shaker community.  Elder Joseph Brackett died on July 4, 1882.

"Simple Gifts" was written by Elder Joseph while he was at the Shaker community in Alfred, Maine in 1848.

"Simple Gifts" is usually identified either as a "Traditional Shaker Hymn" or as a "Work Song." Actually, it's neither a hymn nor a work song. It was written as a dance song.   Shaker hymns usually have two or more stanzas of text, and Shaker songs have only one stanza.  Since "Simple Gifts" has only one stanza, it should be classified as a song. If you look closely at the words, you'll notice the last two lines:

To turn, turn will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.