25 Minutes to Go

"25 Minutes to Go"
Song by Shel Silverstein
from the album Inside Folk Songs
Released	1962 (1962)
Genre	Country
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Shel Silverstein

"25 Minutes to Go" is a song by Shel Silverstein, from his 1962 album Inside Folk Songs.^[1]

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 in 25 minutes I'll be in hell.

I got 24 minutes to go.

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.^[1]

Cover 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.^[2]
Danish singer Povl Dissing with the band The Beefeaters as "25 Minutter endnu" (1967 single).^[3]
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).
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 ^[4]^[5]
Berlin-based band Dangerpony (Laura Bruce, Laurent Lavolé and others)^[6]
Lou Reed and Emily Haines performed a version in 2011 at Shelebration! A tribute to the works of Shel Silverstein ^[7]

Notes

1 2 "Inside Folk Songs - Shel Silverstein | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
↑ Cover: Johnny Cash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxvR7ZUjaJk
↑ "Povl Dissing - 25 Minutter Endnu / Han Skød Pistolen Af". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
↑ On the House- Head of the Herd https://soundcloud.com/headoftheherd/sets/on-the-house
↑ Cover: Head of the Herd https://soundcloud.com/headoftheherd/12-25-minutes-to-go
↑ 25 Minutes to Go, retrieved 2017-03-13
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngV_rSnSZdw

Johnny Cash
Studio albums	With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song! Now Here's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around Personal File American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars
Concept albums	Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children's Album The Rambler
Gospel albums	Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land My Mother's Hymn Book
Christmas albums	The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas
Collaborations	The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James Million Dollar Quartet The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of '55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers
Live albums	At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze (In Prague–Live) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls
Non-gospel soundtracks	I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy
Compilations	Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down International Superstar Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash: Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection
Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "Seasons of My Heart" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "A Wonderful Time Up There" "The Ballad of Boot Hill" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Give My Love to Rose" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say"
Television	The Johnny Cash Show
Family	June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Tommy Cash Carter Family
Related	Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography The Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire (2013 film) Ring of Fire (musical) My Father and the Man in Black Forever Words Dyess, Arkansas The Tennessee Three
Book

Shel Silverstein
Books	Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back The Giving Tree Don't Bump the Glump!: and Other Fantasies The Missing Piece Runny Babbit
Poem collections	Where the Sidewalk Ends A Light in the Attic Falling Up Every Thing on It
Albums	Freakin' at the Freakers Ball Inside Folk Songs Twistable Turnable Man Where the Sidewalk Ends A Light in the Attic
Songs	"25 Minutes to Go" "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan" "Big Four Poster Bed" "A Boy Named Sue" "The Cover of Rolling Stone" "Marie Laveau" "The Mermaid" "One's on the Way" "Sylvia's Mother" "The Unicorn" "Wrong Ideas"
Film soundtracks	Ned Kelly (1970) Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971)
Screenplays	Things Change (1988)

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