About The Song
“25 or 6 to 4” is a classic rock song by the band Chicago, written by Robert Lamm. The title refers to the time at which the song is set: 25 or 26 minutes before 4 a.m., phrased as, “twenty-five or twenty-six [minutes] to four [o’clock],” (i.e. 03:34 or 03:35). The song’s title has been misinterpreted in the past as a quantity of illicit drugs, but this is not the case. The song was released in 1970 on Chicago’s second studio album and remains a beloved classic in the realm of rock music.
The song is about a musician trying to write a song in the middle of the night, struggling to find inspiration while looking at the clock. The lyrics capture the feelings of frustration and fatigue that can accompany late-night creative sessions. The phrase “25 or 6 to 4” poetically captures that experience of being up late, on the verge of completing a task, but not quite there yet.
Lyrics
Waiting for the break of day
Searching for something to say
Flashing lights against the sky
Giving up, I close my eyes
Sitting cross-legged on the floor
Twenty five or six to four
Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face
Wanting just to stay awake
Wondering how much I can take
Should I try to do some more?
Twenty five or six to four
Oh yeah
Feeling like I ought to sleep
Spinning room is sinking deep
Searching for something to say
Waiting for the break of day
Twenty five or six to four
Twenty five or six to four
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