Released 1962 (1962) Label Atlantic "Boa Constrictor"
(7) "25 Minutes to Go"
(8) | Genre Country Writer(s) Shel Silverstein | |
"25 Minutes to Go"
(8) "Folk Singer's Blues"
(9) |
"25 Minutes to Go" is a song by Shel Silverstein, from his 1962 album Inside Folk Songs.
Contents
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.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.
Cover versions
References
25 Minutes to Go Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA