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His sentence it is passed and cannot be repealed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''