A Boy Named Sue

Well, my daddy left home when I was three He didn't leave very much to my mom and me Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze Now, I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid But the meanest thing that he ever did Was before he left, he went and named me Sue He must've thought that it was quite a joke And it caught a lot of laughs from a lots of folk Seems I had to fight my whole life through Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean My fist got hard and my wits got keen Roam from town to town to hide my shame But I made me a vow to the moon and stars I'd search those honky tonks and bars And kill that man that gave me that awful name Well, it was Gatlinburg back in mid-July And I just hit town and my throat was dry I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew At an old saloon on a street of mud There at a table, dealing stud Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me Sue Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad From a worn-out picture that my mother had I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye He was big and bent and gray and old And I looked at him and my blood ran cold And I said, "My name is Sue, how do you do? Now you gonna die" Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes And he went down, but to my surprise He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear But I busted a chair right across his teeth And we crashed through the walls and into the street Kicking and a-gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer Well, I tell you, I've fought tougher men But I really can't remember when He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile Well I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss And he went for his gun but I pulled mine first He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile And he said, "Son, this world is rough And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough Also knew I wouldn't be there to help you along So I give you that name, and I said goodbye And I knew you'd have to get tough or die It's that name that helped to make you strong" He said, "Now you just fought one hell of a fight And I know you hate me, and you got the right to kill me now And I wouldn't blame you if you do But you ought to thank me, before I die For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye 'Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue" Well I got all choked up and I threw down my gun I called him my pa, and he called me his son I came away with a different point of view And I think about him, now and then Every time I try and every time I win And, boy, if I ever have a son, well I'll probably name him Bill or George, any damn thing but Sue I still hate that name