(The Band) Chicago: The meaning of 25 or 6 to 4

Robert Lamm talks to Chris Isaac about the meanning of the song he wrote for Chicago
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THIS SHOW NOR DO I CLAIM IT'S MINE IN ANY FORM. ALL COPYRIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS, NOT ME! I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SHOW IN ANY WAY. This video is uploaded for people who cannot find this excerpt/clip anywhere, for non-profit, educational use, and entertainment purposes only and to bring back old memories.

[BigRedJonson]

The lyrics paint a picture so vividly that you can actually see the images in your mind. The lyrics convey song writer Robert Lamm’s experience at the moment he was writing the song. Simple and yet brilliant. He keeps coming back to the time on the clock - “25 or 6 to 4” - which seemingly hasn’t moved throughout the song but we all know is impossible according to the definition of time as we know it. One of Rock & Roll music’s greatest songs. Thanks for posting :^)

[Havanorange]

I like how Chris Isaak makes a joke and then just listens to the story.
I wish more interviewers would do it this way.

[ssteeeeeve]

I grew up listening to this stuff my parents had on the radio early 70’s. Life was good for a kid

[rogerchesson]

I love this song, especially Terry Kath's solo, just listened to it again and was wondering what the heck does it mean!!
Thanks for the explanation.
Chicago are still one of my favourite bands, along with Earth Wind and Fire and Toto.

[_michaelkern]

I always thought "should i try to do some more, 25 or 6 to 4" was about staying up all night doing coke

[jayhafe]

I always thought this was a song about being too stoned to write song lyrics.

[jeebuscrise]

Meaning it was either 3:34 or 3:35 a.m. when he was still up writing this masterpiece.

[ivanhoe]

I met Robert Lamm a couple of decades ago in Beverly Hills, while coaching a soccer team from the local AYSO league, his daughter played in the team. What a nice and pleasant guy he was and so easy to talk to. I must say though, I wish I knew a bit more about his band, Chicago, because I felt a bit weird when he told me he was a musician and played in that incredible band and I was so clueless, at the time. It was a real pleasure meeting him and I hope he and his family are doing fantastic.

[halfgazo]

LCD had two common forms in the late 60's Micro Dot 25 which was a paper blotter and Window Pane which was on a gelatin sheet with a 624 stamp. The whole song is about an acid trip!

[sagatuppercut]

It must've been 3:35 or 3:54 a.m. when we was writing this song.

[nanlev]

It’s a song about what was happening at the moment. Interestingly enough, Play That Funky Music White Boy is also a song about what happened in the moment.

[LivinginVeniceFlorida-ijvn]

25 or 26 minutes to 4 am... love that.. Of course that wouldn't have been as effective or as mysterious...lol but the idea of waiting for the break of searching for something to say... wow describing his feelings at the actual moment of struggling to find words.. and his feeling or inability to come up with lyrics they actually become the lyrics themselves... thats so amazing from a writing point of view.. then into a famous song.. Thats the spark of life....

[mariondove]

And for 50 years I thought the title was a friggen phone number.

[joebush]

Holy shit....I joked about this being what the title meant for years and now I'm freaking out that my joke was correct

[catmagic]

Whew. Finally.
I always wondered wth this was about.

[stevenmaginnis]

I always thought that Lamm wrote this song IN Chicago and that he was looking out at the lights along Lake Michigan.

[ebooksmaster]

It was fairly obvious to me, that it was the hands on the clock, that were blurry.

[brrjohnson]

Up late trying to write lyrics for their music.
Q: "What time is it?"
A: "25 (after) or 6 minutes till 4" am, at first glance both look similar on an analog clock.
Ok, that fits.

[andenofficall]

I thought it was a song about them looking for one last song all night long for the last for an album that it was on and didn't know that's what I meant my parents always have told me that I'm 12 and I am a younger child but I appreciate this older music

[sandiangel]

I wondered what the numbers 250624 meant 🤗