25 Minutes to Go
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25 Minutes to Go is a song performed by Johnny Cash on his famous At Folsom Prison concert album. It was written by Shel Silverstein. Cash had earlier recorded the song for his album Sings the Ballads of the True West.
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. Cash's version, excerpted below, varied somewhat from Silverstein's original lyrics:
- Well, they're building a gallows outside my cell;
- And I've got 25 minutes to go.
- And whole town's comin' just to hear me yell;
- I've got 24 minutes to go.
- ...
- I can see the buzzards, I can hear the crows;
- 1 more minute to go.
- And now I'm swingin'!
- And here I go-oh-oh-oh-oh...
In the live prison concert recording, Cash fluffed one line, singing "5 more minutes to go" instead of "7 more minutes to go" and followed this by "7 more minutes to go" then "3 more minutes to go" before recovering to finish.
The song is similar in concept to Silverstein's kiddy 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.
This song was covered by:
- American avant-garde singer Diamanda Galas on Malediction & Prayer (1998, Asphodel Records).
- American rock band Pearl Jam on their 2004 album Live at Benaroya Hall.
- British cult band Tiger Lillies on 2 Penny Opera (2001).
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