25 Minutes to Go

"25 Minutes to Go" is a song by Shel Silverstein, from his 1962 album Inside Folk Songs.

Lyrics
The song is literally "gallows humor", as it is sung by a man awaiting his own execution by hanging. Each verse consists of two lines, of which the first line is anything from humorous to poignant, and the second line is a minute-by-minute countdown.


 * Well they're buildin' the gallows outside my cell.
 * I got 25 minutes to go.


 * And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell.
 * I got 24 minutes to go.

And so on. The song is similar in concept to Silverstein's children's song "Boa Constrictor": It presents the point of view of someone who is experiencing a calamity in real time, composing and singing as the events unfold, with a fatal conclusion. "Boa Constrictor", like "25 Minutes to Go", appeared on Silverstein's 1962 album Inside Folk Songs. Johnny Cash was the second artist to do a cover of the song where it differs most notably by having omitted lines.

Later versions

 * Brothers Four, on their 1963 album Cross Country Concert.
 * Johnny Cash on his 1965 album Sings the Ballads of the True West and on his 1968 live album, At Folsom Prison.
 * Danish singer Povl Dissing with the band The Beefeaters as "25 Minutter endnu" (1967 single).
 * Flemish singer Will Tura from Belgium as "20 minuten geduld" in 1968.
 * Swedish folk singer sv:Ewert Ljusberg on Goknul (1972).
 * American avant-garde singer Diamanda Galás on Malediction & Prayer (1998, Asphodel Records).
 * Finnish duo Eero and Jussi Raittinen perform the sing in the movie Topralli (1966)
 * British cult band Tiger Lillies on 2 Penny Opera (2001).
 * American country/rock band Pine Valley Cosmonauts on The Executioner's Last Songs (2002).
 * German metal band Dezperadoz on their third album An Eye for an Eye.
 * German singer Gunter Gabriel on his album The Tennessee-Recordings (2003).
 * American rock band Pearl Jam on their 2004 album Live at Benaroya Hall.
 * Canadian band Head of the Herd on their first album On the House
 * Berlin-based band Dangerpony (Laura Bruce, Laurent Lavolé and others)
 * Lou Reed and Emily Haines performed a version in 2011 at Shelebration! A tribute to the works of Shel Silverstein