Bad
news, bad news, come to
me where I sl
eep,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
Sayin’ o
ne of your friends is in tr
ouble deep,
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
T
ell me, the trouble tell o
nce to my e
ar,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
Joliet prison and ninety-nine years.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
Oh what’s the charge of h
ow this came to
be,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
Manslaughter in the hi
ghest of degree.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
I s
at down and wrote the b
est words I could w
rite,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
Explaining to the judge I’d be th
ere on Wednesday night.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
Wi
thout a reply I le
ft by the mo
on,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
And w
as in his chambers by the n
ext afternoon.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
Co
uld ya tell me the facts?
I said without f
ear,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
T
hat a friend of mine would get nin
ety-nine years.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
A c
rash on the highway flew the c
ar to a fi
eld,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
There was f
our persons killed and he
was at the wheel.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
But I k
new him as good as I’m kn
owin’ mys
elf,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
And
he wouldn’t harm a life that bel
onged to someone else.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
The j
udge spoke out of the s
ide of his mo
uth,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
Sayin’ the wi
tness who saw he l
eft little doubt.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
T
hat may be true he’s got a sen
tence to se
rve,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
But ni
nety-nine years he ju
st don’t deserve.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
T
oo late, too late for his c
ase it is sea
led
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
His sen
tence is passed and it c
annot be repealed.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
But
he ain’t no criminal and his cr
ime it is no
ne,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
What hap
pened to him could hap
pen to anyone.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
And at t
hat the judge jerked forward and his f
ace it did fr
eeze,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
Sayin’ “C
ould you kindly leave my of
fice now, please.”
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
Well
his eyes looked funny and I st
ood up so s
low,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
With
no other choice ex
cept but for to go.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
I wa
lked down the hallway and I he
ard his door s
lam,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
I wa
lked down the courthouse stairs and I co
uld not understand.
Turn, turn to the r
ain and the wi
nd.
And I pl
ayed my guitar through the ni
ght to the d
ay,
Tu
rn, turn, turn ag
ain,
And the on
ly tune my gu
itar could play
Was “Old cruel r
ain and the wi
nd.”