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?
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Manslaughter in the highest degree
Turn, turn, to the rain and the wind
I sat down and wrote the best words i could write
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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
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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
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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 k**ed 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
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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
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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
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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His sentence it is pa**ed and cannot be repealed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 jerked forward and his face it did freeze
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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
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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''