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