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 Governor, the whole damned bunch
Ahhh, 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

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 minute 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
Mmm, 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've better watch my step or else I'll break my leg
I got six more minutes to go

Yeah, with my feet on the trap and my head in the noose
Five more minutes to go

Well, c'mon 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 go