25 Minutes to Go

"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 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.^[1] 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.^[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).
• 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 ^[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

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Johnny Cash

• Albums
• Singles
• Sun Records
• Songs
• Awards

Studio albums

1950s	Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar! The Fabulous Johnny Cash Hymns by Johnny Cash Songs of Our Soil

1960s	Ride This Train Now, There Was a Song! Hymns from the Heart The Sound of Johnny Cash Blood, Sweat and Tears The Christmas Spirit I Walk the Line Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Orange Blossom Special Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Carryin' On with Johnny Cash & June Carter From Sea to Shining Sea The Holy Land

1970s

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Any Old Wind That Blows Johnny Cash and His Woman Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me The Johnny Cash Children's Album Johnny Cash Sings Precious Memories John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad The Rambler I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver A Believer Sings the Truth

1980s	Rockabilly Blues Classic Christmas The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Highwayman Rainbow Class of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming Heroes Believe in Him Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash Water from the Wells of Home

1990s	Highwayman 2 Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life Country Christmas American Recordings The Road Goes on Forever American II: Unchained

2000–2020s	American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars Songwriter

Live albums

• At Folsom Prison
• At San Quentin
• The Johnny Cash Show
• På Österåker
• Strawberry Cake
• Koncert v Praze (In Prague – Live)
• VH1 Storytellers: Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson
• At Madison Square Garden
• A Concert Behind Prison Walls

Soundtracks

• I Walk the Line
• Little Fauss and Big Halsy

Compilations

• Johnny Cash Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous
• Greatest!
• Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams
• Now Here's Johnny Cash
• All Aboard the Blue Train with Johnny Cash
• Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash
• Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash
• 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
• Patriot
• 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash
• The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II
• The Complete Columbia Album Collection
• Johnny Cash and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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"
• "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream"
• "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"
• "Without Love"
• "You Are My Sunshine"

Television

• The Johnny Cash Show

Biographies

• Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words
• Cash: The Autobiography
• Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music
• My Father and the Man in Black
• Walk the Line
• Ring of Fire (musical)
• Ring of Fire (2013 film)

Tribute albums

• The Sound Behind Johnny Cash
• Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash
• Dressed in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
• Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
• Walk the Line: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Fade to Black: Memories of Johnny
• All Aboard: A Tribute to Johnny Cash
• Johnny Cash Remixed
• We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash
• Forever Words

Associated acts

• The Highwaymen
• The Tennessee Three
• Bob Wootton
• Carl Perkins
• W. S. Holland
• Marshall Grant
• Luther Perkins
• Million Dollar Quartet
• The Great Eighties Eight

Family

• June Carter Cash
• John Carter Cash
• Rosanne Cash
• Cindy Cash
• Carlene Carter
• Tommy Cash
• Carter Family

Historical sites

• Dyess, Arkansas
• Johnny Cash Boyhood Home
• Johnny Cash Museum
• House of Cash
• Carter Family Fold

Category

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