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«His sentence it is passed and cannot be repealed.»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 jumped 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.»