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 re-appealed
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
Well 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
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