Bad news, bad news
Come to me where I sleep
Turn, turn, turn againSayin’ one of your friends
Is in trouble deep
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
Tell me the trouble
Tell once to my ear
Turn, turn, turn again
Joliet prison
And ninety-nine years
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
Oh what’s the charge
Of how this came to be
Turn, turn, turn againManslaughter
In the highest of degree
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
I sat down and wrote
The best words I could write
Turn, turn, turn againExplaining to the judge
I’d be there on Wednesday night
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
Without a reply
I left by the moon
Turn, turn, turn againAnd was in his chambers
By the next afternoon
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
Could ya tell me the facts?
I said without fear
Turn, turn, turn againThat a friend of mine
Would get ninety-nine years
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
A crash on the highway
Flew the car to a field
Turn, turn, turn againThere was four persons killed
And he was at the wheel
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
But I knew him as good
As I’m knowin’ myself
Turn, turn, turn againAnd he wouldn’t harm a life
That belonged to someone else
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
The judge spoke
Out of the side of his mouth
Turn, turn, turn againSayin’, “The witness who saw
He left little doubt”
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
That may be true
He’s got a sentence to serve
Turn, turn, turn againBut ninety-nine years
He just don’t deserve
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
Too late, too late
For his case it is sealed
Turn, turn, turn againHis sentence is passed
And it cannot be repealed
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
But he ain’t no criminal
And his crime it is none
Turn, turn, turn againWhat happened to him
Could happen to anyone
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
And at that the judge jerked forward
And his face it did freeze
Turn, turn, turn againSayin’, “Could you kindly leave
My office now, please”
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
Well his eyes looked funny
And I stood up so slow
Turn, turn, turn againWith no other choice
Except for to go
Turn, turn to the rainAnd the wind
I walked down the hallway
And I heard his door slam
Turn, turn, turn againI walked down the courthouse stairs
And I did not understand
Turn, turn to the rainAnd 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, “Oh the Cruel Rain
And the Wind”