Lyrics:

Bad news, bad news, come 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'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'll 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 should 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 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
His sentence, it is passed, and cannot be repealed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

And 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

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 'o, cruel, rain and the wind'