A BOY NAMED SUE
S.Silverstein 1. Well my daddy left home when I was three Didn't leave much for me 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 2. Well he must have thought it was quite a joke And it got lot of loughs from lot of folks And it seems I have to fight my whole life through Some gal would giggle and I'd get red And some guy'd lough and I'd bust his head I tell ya, life ain't easy for boy named Sue 3. Well I grew up quick and grew up mean My fists got hard and my wits got keen I roamed from town to town to hide my shame But I made me a vow to the moon and stars I'd search the honky-tonks and bars And kill that man who'd gave me that awful name 4. Well it was Gatlingburg in mid-July And I'd 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 stus Sat the dirty mangy dog that named me Sue 5. Well I knew that snake was my own sweet dad From a wornout picture that my mother'd had And 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! Yeah, that's what I told him! 6. Well I hit him hard right between the eyes He went down but to my surprise He came 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 wall and into the street Kicking and gonging in the mud and the blood and the beer 7. I tell you I fought tougher men But I really can't remember when He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss He went for his guns and I pulled mine first He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile 8. And he said: Son this world is rough And if man's going to make it he's gonna be tough' And I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along So I gave you that name and I said good-bye I knew you'd have to get tough or die And it's that name it's help to make you strong 9. He said: You 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 your guts and the spit in your eye For I'm the nut that named you Sue Yeah, what could I do? 10. I got all choked up and I threw down my gun I called him my pa and me called me his son And 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 if I ever have a son I think I'm going to name him, well, I ain't gonna name him Sue! I'm gonna call him Johnny Cash! FLATT & SCRUGGS - Final Fling