A Boy Named Sue

Tom: A
 
A                                   D
Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
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And he didn't leave much to Ma and me,
                            A
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
Now, I don't blame him cause he run and hid,
D                                  E7
But the meanest thing that he ever did,
                            A
Was before he left, he went and named me Sue.
Well, he musta thought that is quite a joke,
And it got a lot of laughs from a lots of folks.
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,
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 that gimme 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, 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'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!
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,
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer.
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.
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
An' 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 gotta be tough,
"And I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along.
"So I give ya that name and I said goodbye,
"I knew you'd have to get tough or die,
"And it's the 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 ya ought to thank me, before I die,
"For the gravel in your guts and the spit in ya eye,
"'Cos I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you Sue."
Yeah, 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 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 gonna name him
Bill or George!
Anything but Sue!
I still hate that name!