Percy's Song

[Verse 1] 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 [Verse 2] "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 [Verse 3] "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 [Verse 4] 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 [Verse 5] 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 [Verse 6] "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 [Verse 7] 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 [Verse 8] 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 [Verse 9] 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 [Verse 10] "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 [Verse 11] Too late, too late, for his case it is sealed Turn, turn, turn again His sentence, it is passed, and cannot be repealed Turn, turn to the rain and the wind [Verse 12] "But, he ain't no criminal and his crime it is none!"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 [Verse 13] 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 [Verse 14] 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 [Verse 15] 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 [Verse 16] 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" [Songwriters: Bob Dylan]