# Twenty-five or six to four? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236 "2004-01-07T16:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/1 "2004-01-07T16:58:58Z")
What do those lyrics mean? [http://www.yimpan.com/Songsite/Lyric/index.asp?sid=1777](http://www.yimpan.com/Songsite/Lyric/index.asp?sid=1777) ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/2 "2004-01-07T17:03:03Z")
I think I heard the band say once in an interview that it’s simply a reference to the time on the clock: It’s twenty-five (or six) to four. So I guess the time is either 3:34 or 3:35. I have no cite for this, though, and I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/3 "2004-01-07T17:06:29Z")
I’ve always assumed it meant 3:35 am or 3:34 am, give or take. (“25 to 4, or 26 to 4” = “25 or 6 to 4” (I think that’s the associateive principle)). The writer is sitting up at night, waiting for the day. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/4 "2004-01-07T17:07:44Z")
Not supposed to do this in GQ, but backing up **nineiron** , I read an interview with a bandmember which supports his post. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/5 "2004-01-07T17:10:20Z")
Link doesn’t work for me. This has been discussed here before. What I recall is that is means \*\*twenty-five or \*\*(twenty-) **six** (minutes) **to** ( = before) **four** (o’clock). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/6 "2004-01-07T17:12:41Z")
Back in the day when people desperately tried to read something into such lyrics, 25 was said to be a reference to acid (LSD-25) and 6 to 4 was actually 64, another drug reference (I can’t remember what, though). I.E., the singer was stoned. This might get a better response in Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/7 "2004-01-07T17:25:38Z")
Try this: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m25or6to4.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m25or6to4.html) ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/8 "2004-01-07T17:33:50Z")
Moved to CS. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/9 "2004-01-07T17:51:45Z")
I’m almost positive that I read that the song was inspired by the name of a restaurant in Chicago, but that may have been the result of too much substance abuse back then. ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/10 "2004-01-07T18:00:54Z")
Dang, I’d always thought it more vague, more representational, i.e. 3:35 am or 3:54 am. ---
**Author:** ![Spurious\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Spurious\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spurious_George)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/11 "2004-01-07T18:11:13Z")
[Straight Dope Staff Report from October 2000.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m25or6to4.html) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/12 "2004-01-07T23:13:46Z")
Y’know, after reading the reports, I almost wish the song HAD been about being stoned. Otherwise, we have a song (and a pretty long song, at that) where the singer is complaining that he’s having trouble writing a song. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/13 "2004-01-07T23:16:24Z")
Remember the 1984 like video for the song? ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/14 "2004-01-07T23:48:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kunilou \* > \*\*Y’know, after reading the reports, I almost wish the song HAD been about being stoned. Otherwise, we have a song (and a pretty long song, at that) where the singer is complaining that he’s having trouble writing a song. \*\* I think it’s funny how everyone claims NONE of the songs written back in late 60’s / early 70’s were about doing drugs. ::dubious:: And John Lennon didn’t write Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds about LSD. Uh huh. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/15 "2004-01-08T00:33:09Z")
_Sigh_ According to a book I recently acquired (Lennon: His Life and Work), Lennon’s son, Julian, had drawn a picture of a classmate, Lucy O’Donnell, in the sky. With diamonds. Lennon wrote the song after seeing the picture Julian drew. I really do apologize for the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/16 "2004-01-08T00:45:31Z")
Umm… it appears **ccwaterback** has never heard of Jefferson Airplane, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffett, or The Grateful Dead. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/17 "2004-01-08T01:35:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quack \* > \*\*_Sigh_ > According to a book I recently acquired (Lennon: His Life and Work), Lennon’s son, Julian, had drawn a picture of a classmate, Lucy O’Donnell, in the sky. With diamonds. Lennon wrote the song after seeing the picture Julian drew. > > I really do apologize for the hijack. \*\* I’m just saying he lied, that’s all. Someone toss a song about drugs out for discussion, let’s see how many cites we get to debunk the idea. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/18 "2004-01-08T01:38:12Z")
Let’s say, songs without drugs named specifically in the title or lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twenty-five-or-six-to-four/223236/19 "2004-01-08T01:55:04Z")
OK, screw it, let me start a new thread. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=233768](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=233768)