[1] The song is literally "gallows humor", as it is sung by a man awaiting his own execution by hanging.
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.
This 1960s country song-related article is a stub.