Bad news, bad news, come to me where I sleep

Turn, turn, turn again

Say, one of your friends is in trouble deep

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



Tell me the trouble, tell me once to my ear

Turn, turn, turn again

Joliet prison and ninety-nine years

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



Oh, what's the charge of how this came to be?

Turn, turn, turn again

Manslaughter in the highest degree

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



I sat down and wrote the best words I could write

Turn, turn, turn again

Explaining to the judge I'd be there on Wednesday night

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



Without a reply, I left by the moon

Turn, turn, turn again

And was in his chambers by the next afternoon

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



Would you tell me the facts, I said without fear

Turn, turn, turn again

That a friend of mine could get ninety-nine years

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



A crash on the highway, flew the car to a field

Turn, turn, turn again

There was four persons killed and he was at the wheel

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



But I knew him as good as I'm knowing myself

Turn, turn, turn again

And he wouldn't harm a life that belonged to someone else

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



The judge he spoke out of the side of his mouth

Turn, turn, turn again

Saying ``The witness who saw, he left without doubt''

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



That may be true, he's got a sentence to serve

Turn, turn, turn again

But ninety-nine years he just don't deserve

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



Too late, too late, for his case it is sealed

Turn, turn, turn again

His sentence it is passed and cannot be repealed

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



But he ain't no criminal and his crime it is none

Turn, turn, turn again

What happened to him could happen to anyone

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



At that the judge jerked forward and his face it did freeze

Turn, turn, turn again

Saying, ``Could you kindly leave my office now please?''

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



His eyes looked funny and I stood up so slow

Turn, turn, turn again

With no other choice except for to go

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



I walked down the hallway and I heard his door slam

Turn, turn, turn again

I walked down the courthouse stairs and did not understand

Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind



And I played my guitar through the night to the day

Turn, turn, turn again

And the only tune my guitar could play

Was ``The Old Cruel Rain And The Wind''