Bad news, bad news came to me where I sleep –
Turn, turn, turn again –
Saying 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 is the charge of how this came to be? –
Turn, turn, turn again –
Manslaughter in the highest of degrees –
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.
"Could you tell me the facts," I said without fear –
Turn, turn, turn again –
"That a friend of mine would 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 know 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 spoke out of the side of his mouth –
Turn, turn, turn again –
Saying, "The witness who saw, he left little 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 –
The sentence is passed and it cannot be repealed –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.
The room was funny and I stood up so slow –
Turn, turn, turn again –
With no other choice except but 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 I did not understand –
Turn, turn to the rain and the wind.
I played my guitar through the night to the day –
Turn, turn, turn again –
And the only tune my guitar could play
Was, "Oh, the cruel rain and the wind..."