Gallows humor

Sometime in the next hour and a half, Saddam Hussein is going to be executed by hanging. I know: the death of any person - even one who's done as much wickedness as Saddam - should be a sober event. But in this case I just couldn't resist...

"25 Minutes To Go"

(written and sung by Johnny Cash)

Well they're building a gallows outside my cell I've got 25 minutes to go

And the whole town's waitin' just to hear me yell I've got 24 minutes to go

Well they gave me some beans for my last meal I've got 23 minutes to go

But nobody asked me how I feel I've got 22 minutes to go

Well I sent for the governor and the whole dern bunch with 21 minutes to go

And I sent for the mayor but he's out to lunch I've got 20 more minutes to go

Then the sheriff said boy I 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 hear comes the preacher for to save my soul with 13 minutes to go

And he's talking bout' burnin' but I'm so cold I've 12 more minutes to go

Now they're testin' the trap and it chills my spine 11 more minutes to go

And the trap and the rope aw they work just fine got 10 more minutes to go

Well I'm waitin' on 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 on the noose got 5 more minutes to go

Won't somebody come and cut me loose with 4 more minutes to go

I can see the mountains I can see the skies with 3 more minutes to go

And it's to dern pretty for a man that don't wanna die 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-o-o-o-o!

UPDATE 5:12 AM 12-30-2006: I woke up a little bit ago and found that the big news is that Saddam has indeed "danced the Tyburn jig". Here's a pic of the noose going around the former dictator's neck. No doubt we'll be seeing footage of the entire thing on YouTube before the day is out.

EDIT 2:36 AM 12-31-2006: I'm only posting this 'cuz it's gotten everywhere already anyway: the cellphone-recorded video of Saddam making "the long drop".