Well, they're building a gallows
Outside my cell
I've got twenty-five minutes to go
And the whole town's waiting
Just to hear me yell
I've got twenty-four minutes to go
Well, they gave me some beans
For my last meal
I've got twenty-three minutes to go
But nobody asked me
How I feel
I've got twenty-two minutes to go
Well, I sent for the governor
And the whole dern bunch
With twenty-one minutes to go
And I sent for the mayor
But he's out to lunch
I've got twenty more minutes to go
Then the sheriff said, "Boy
I 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 talking about burning
But I'm so cold
I've got twelve more minutes to go
Now they're testing 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 waiting 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 on the noose
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 skies
With three more minutes to go
And it's too dern pretty
For a man that don't wanna die
I've 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 swinging
And here I go