"25 Minutes to Go" is a song by Shel Silverstein, from his 1962 album Inside Folk Songs.[1]
| "25 Minutes to Go" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Shel Silverstein | |
| from the album Inside Folk Songs | |
| Released | 1962 |
| Genre | Country |
| Label | Atlantic |
| Songwriter(s) | Shel Silverstein |
Lyrics
editThe 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
edit- 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] In the Folsom version, he mistakenly says seven minutes instead of four minutes.
- 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
edit- ^ a b "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
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Lou Reed & Emily Haines "25 Minutes to Go"". YouTube. 6 August 2011.
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