25 MINUTES TO GO
(Shel Silverstein)


Shel Silverstein - 1962
The Brothers Four - 1962
Johnny Cash - 1965
Will Tura - 1968 (Belgian title "20 Minuten Geduld")
Takahiro Saito - 1970
Ben Lee Rivers & Smokey Road - 1975
Charlie B. - 1975
Christian Masser - 2013





As recorded by SHEL SILVERSTEIN:

Well, they're buildin' the gallows outside my cell
I got twenty-five minutes to go
And in twenty-five minutes I'll be in Hell
I got twenty-four minutes to go

Well, they give me some beans for my last meal
Twenty-three minutes to go
And you know, nobody asked me how I feel
I got twenty-two minutes to go

So, I wrote to the Gov'nor, the whole damned bunch
Ah, twenty-one minutes to go
And I call up the Mayor, and he's out to lunch
I got twenty more minutes to go

Well, the Sheriff says, "Boy, I wanna watch you die"
Nineteen minutes to go
And I laugh in his face, and I spit in his eye
I got eighteen minutes to go

Well, I call out to the Warden to hear my plea
Seventeen minutes to go
He says, "Call me back in a week or three
You've got sixteen minutes to go"

Well, my lawyer says he's sorry he missed my case
Mmmm, fifteen minutes to go
Yeah, well if you're so sorry, come up and take my place
I got fourteen minutes to go

Well, now here comes the Padre to save my soul
With thirteen minutes to go
And he's talkin' about burnin', but I'm so damned cold
I got twelve more minutes to go

Now they're testin' the trap, it chills my spine
I got eleven minutes to go
'Cause the goddamned thing, it works just fine
I got ten more minutes to go

I'm waitin' for the pardon gonna set me free
With nine more minutes to go
But this ain't the movies, so to hell with me
I got eight more minutes to go

And now I'm climbin' up the ladder with a scaffold peg
With seven more minutes to go
I'd betta' watch my step or else I'll break my leg
I got six more minutes to go

Yeah, with my feet on the trap, my head in the noose
Five more minutes to go
Well, come on somethin' and cut me loose
I got four more minutes to go

I can see the mountains, I see the sky
Three more minutes to go
And it's too damned pretty for a man to die
I got two more minutes to go

I can hear the buzzards, hear the crows
One more minute to go
And now I'm swingin' and here I gooooooooooo


********************


As recorded by THE BROTHERS FOUR:

Well, they're buildin' a gallows outside this jail
And I've got twenty-five minutes to go
And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me wail
There's twenty-four minutes to go
(Twenty-four minutes, twenty-four minutes)

Well, they give me some beans for my last meal
Twenty-three minutes to go
And nobody asked me how I feel
Twenty-two minutes to go

So, I sent for the Gov'nor and the whole darned bunch
Twenty-one minutes to go
And I called up the Mayor, but he's out to lunch
I got twenty more minutes to go

Then the Sheriff said, "Boy, I wanna watch you die
You got nineteen minutes to go"
So I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye
I got eighteen minutes to go

Then I called up to the Warden, "Hear my plea"
I've got seventeen minutes to go
He said, "Call me back in a week or three
You've got sixteen minutes to go"

Now, my lawyer says he's sorry that he missed my case
I've got fifteen minutes to go
Well, if you're so sorry, come and take my place
I've got fourteen minutes to go

Now here comes the Padre for to save my soul
With thirteen minutes to go
And he's talkin' 'bout burnin', but I'm so cold
I've got twelve minutes to go

Now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine
With eleven more minutes to go
And the trap and the rope, ah, they work just fine
I've got ten minutes to go

Well, I'm a-waitin' for the pardon gonna set me free
With nine minutes to go
But this ain't the movies, so forget about me
I got eight minutes to go

Now I'm climbin' up the ladder to the scaffold there
With seven minutes to go
Now, I'd betta' watch my step or else I'll break my leg
I got six minutes to go

With my feet on the trap, head in the noose
Five minutes to go
Won't someone come and cut me loose
I got four minutes to go

I can see the mountains, see the sky
Three minutes to go
And it's too darned pretty for a man to wanna die
I got two minutes to go

I can hear the buzzards, hear the crows
One minute to go
And now I'm swingin' and here I gooooooooooo


********************


As recorded by JOHNNY CASH:

Well, they're buildin' a gallows outside my cell
I've got twenty-five minutes to go 
And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell
I got twenty-four minutes to go 

Well, they gave me some beans for my last meal 
I got twenty-three minutes to go
But nobody asked me how I feel 
I got twenty-two minutes to go 

Well, I sent for the Gov'nor and the whole durned bunch
With twenty-one minutes to go
And I sent for the Mayor, but he's out to lunch 
I got twenty more minutes to go 

Then the Sheriff said, 'Boy, I'm gonna watch you die"
Got nineteen minutes to go
So I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye 
Got eighteen minutes to go

Now here comes the Preacher for to save my soul
With thirteen minutes to go
And he's talkin' 'bout burnin', but I'm so cold 
I got twelve more minutes to go

Now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine 
With eleven more minutes to go
And the trap and the rope, oh, they work just fine  
Got ten more minutes to go 

Well, I'm waitin' for the pardon that'll set me free 
With nine more minutes to go
But this is for real, so forget about me
Got eight more minutes to go

With my feet on the trap and my head in the noose 
I got five more minutes to go 
Won't somebody come and cut me loose
Got four more minutes to go

I can see the mountains, I can see the sky
Three more minutes to go
And it's too durned purty for a man to wanta die
I got two more minutes to go
 
I can see the buzzards, I can hear the crows
One more minute to go
And now I'm swingin' and here I gooooooooo



****************
TWINTIG MINUTEN GEDULD
Will Tura



Weldra hang ik aan de galg als een lederen pop
Nog twintig minuten geduld
En ze richten voor mij de stelling op
Negentien minuten geduld
 
‘k Heb m’n bord met zwarte bonen niet aangeraakt
Nog achttien minuten geduld
En niemand die vraagt of het heeft gesmaakt
Zeventien minuten geduld
 
‘k Sta voor de stadsbestuurder en z’n secretaris
Nog zestien minuten geduld
‘t Is niet te geloven dat m’n einde daar is
Nog vijftien minuten geduld
 
‘k Hoor geen hemelse muziek of geen engelenzang
Nog veertien minuten geduld
‘k Hou me groot en fier maar ik ben zo bang
Nog dertien minuten geduld
 
Hier komt nu de priester die de zielen redt
Nog twaalf minuten geduld
Maar ik herinner mij geen enkel gebed
Nog elf minuten geduld
 
‘t Wordt hoog tijd dat ik m’n zonden biecht
Tien minuten geduld
Maar lach mij niet uit vlak in het gezicht
Nog negen minuten geduld
 
‘k Vraag een sigaret als laatste wil
Nog acht minuten geduld
En ze wachten vol spanning op m’n laatste gil
Nog zeven minuten geduld
 
Nu treed ik op ‘t toneel voor de laatste keer
Nog vijf minuten geduld
Maar dit is geen spel, dus roep mij niet weer
Nog vier minuten geduld
 
‘k Zie de blauwe hemel, ‘k voel de zonnegloed
Nog drie minuten geduld
En de wereld lijkt mooi als je sterven moet
Nog twee minuten geduld
 
Heeft niemand dan met mij een tikje medelij
Nog één minuutje geduld
En kijk, hier zwier ik, alles is voorbij



(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - May 2019)