Well, they're buildin' a gallows outside my cell I've got 25 minutes to go And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell I got 24 minutes to go Well, they gave me some beans for my last meal I got 23 minutes to go But nobody asks me how I feel I got 22 minutes to go Well I sent for the Governor and the whole darned bunch With 21 minutes to go And I sent for the Mayor, but he's out to lunch I got 20 more minutes to go Then the sheriff said, "Boy, I'm gonna watch you die" Got 19 minutes to go So I laughed in his face and I spit in his eye Got 18 minutes to go Now here comes the preacher for to save my soul With 13 minutes to go And he's talking 'bout burning, but I'm so cold I got 12 more minutes to go Now they're testin' a trap and it chills my spine With 11 more minutes to go And the trap and the rope, oh, they work just fine Got 10 more minutes to go Well I'm waitin' for the pardon that'll set me free With 9 more minutes to go But this is for real, so forget about me Got 8 more minutes to go With my feet on the trap and my head in the noose Got 5 more minutes to go Won't somebody come and cut me loose Got 4 more minutes to go I can see the mountains, I can see the sky 3 more minutes to go And it's too darned pretty for a man to die I got 2 more minutes to go I can see the buzzards, I can hear the crows 1 more minute to go And now I'm swingin' and here I go-o-o-o-o-o