Boy Named Sue Lyrics

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Boy Named Sue Lyrics by Johnny Cash

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Well, my daddy left home when I was three 
and he didnt leave much to ma and me 
just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze 
now i dont blame him cause he ran and hid 
but the meanest thing that he ever did 
was before he left he went and named me Sue 
Well he must a' thought that it was quite a joke 
and it got a lot of laughs from a lots of folk 
it seems I had to fight my whole life through 
some gal would giggle and I'd get red 
and some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head 
I tell ya life  ain't easy for a boy named Sue 
Well i grew up quick and I grew up mean 
my fists got hard and my wits got keen 
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame 
but I made me a vow to the moon and stars 
that I'd search the honky-tonks and bars 
and kill that man that give me that awful name 
Well it was Gatlinburg 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 dealin' 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'd had 
and I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye 
he was big and bent and grey 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're gonna die!' 
Yeah! that's what I told him 
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 wall and into the street 
kickin' and a'gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer 
I tell ya I've 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 
and he went for his gun and 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 got to be tough 
and I know I wouldn't be there to help you along 
so I give you that name and I said goodbye 
I knew you'd have to get tough or die 
and 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 oughtta thank me before I die  
for the gravel in your guts and the spit in your eye 
cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue" 
Yeah! well what could I do? 
What COULD I do? 
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun  
and I called him my pa and he called me his son 
and I come away with a different point of veiw 
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 am gonna name him 
Bill or George any damn thing but Sue

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