Lyrics - A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash

WELL ,
MY
DADDY
LEFT
HOME
WHEN
I
WAS
THREE,
AND
HE
DIDN`
T
LEAVE
MUCH
TO
MA
AND
ME,
JUST
THIS
OLD
GUITAR
AND
AN
EMPTY
BOTTLE
OF
BOOZE.
NOW
I
DON`
T
BLAME
HIM
BECAUSE
HE
RUN
AND
HID,
BUT
THE
MEANEST
THING
THAT
HE
EVER
DIDWAS
BEFORE
HE
LEFT,
HE
WENT
AND
NAMED
ME
SUE.
WELL,
HE
MUST
HAVE
THOUGHT
IT
WAS
QUITE
A
JOKE,
AND
IT
GOT
LOTS
OF
LOUGH
FROM
A
LOT
OF
FOLKS,
IT
SEEMS
I
HAD
TO
FIGHT
MY
WHOLE
LIFE
THRU.
SOME
GAL
WOULD
GIGLE
AND
I`
D
GET
RED,
AND
SOME
GUY
WOULD
LOUGH
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
KNEEN.
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
BARSAND
KILL
THAT
MAN
THAT
GIVE
ME
THAT
AWFUL
NAME.
BUT
IT
WAS
GATLINBURG
IN
MID
JULYAND
I
HAD
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
MUDAND
AT
A
TABLE
DEALING
STUD
SAT
THE
DIRTY,
MANGY
DOG
THAT
NAMED
ME
SUE.
WELL
I
KNEW
THAT
SNAKE
WAS
MY
OWN
SWEET
DADFROM
A
WORN-
OUT
PICTURE
THAT
MY
MOTHER
HAD.
AND
I
KNOW
THAT
SCAR
ON
HIS
CHEEK
AND
HIS
EVIL
EYE.
HE
WAS
BIG
AND
BENT
AND
GREY
AND
OLDAND
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
RIGHT
BETWEEN
THE
EYESAND
HE
WENT
DOWN,
BUT
TO
MY
SURPRISEHE
COME
UP
WITH
A
KNIFE
AND
CUT
OFF
A
PICE
OF
MY
EAR.
BUT
I
BUSTED
A
CHAIR
RIGHT
ACROSS
HIS
TEETH.
AND
WE
CRASHED
THROUGH
THE
WALL
AND
INTO
THE
STREETKICKING
AND
A-
GOUGING
IN
THE
MUD
AND
THE
BLOODAND
THE
BEER.(
Fortsetzung)
I
TELL
YOU
I`
VE
FOUGHT
TOUGHER
MENBUT
I
REALLY
CAN`
T
REMEMBER
WHEN.
HE
KICKED
LIKE
A
MULE
AND
HE
BIT
LIKE
A
CROCODILE.
I
HEARED
HIM
LOUGHIN`
AND
THEN
I
HEARED
HIM
CUSSIN`,
HE
WENT
FOR
HIS
GUN
AND
I
PULLED
MINE
FIRST.
HE
STOOD
THERE
LOOKING
AT
ME
AND
I
SAW
HIM
SMILE,
AND
HE
SAID, "
SON
THIS
WORLD
IS
ROUGHAND
IF
A
MAN`
S
GONNA
MAKE
IT,
HE`
S
GOTTA
BE
THOUGHAND
I
KNOW
I
WOULDN`
T
BE
THERE
TO
HELP
YOU
ALONG.
SO
I
GIVE
YOU
THAT
NAME
AD
I
SAID
GOOD
BYE,
I
KNEW
YOU`
D
HAVE
TO
GET
TOUGH
OR
DIE.
AND
IT`
S
THAT
NAME
THAT
HELPED
TO
MAKE
YOU
STRONG.""
YEAH",
HE
SAID, "
NOW
YOU
HAVE
JUST
ONE
HELLUVA
FIGHT,
AND
I
KNOW
YOU
HATE
ME
AND
YOU`
VE
GOT
THE
RIGHTTO
KILL
ME
NOW
AND
I
WOULDN`
T
BLAME
YOU
IF
YOU
DO.
BUT
YOU
OUGHT
TO
THANK
ME
BEFORE
I
DIEFOR
THE
GRAVEL
IN
YOUR
GUTSAND
THE
SPIT
IN
YOUR
EYE
BECAUSEI`
M
THE - - - -
THAT
NAMED
YOU
SUE."
YEAH,
WHAT
COULD
I
DO?
WHAT
COULD
I
DO?
I
GOT
ALL
CHOKED
UP
AND
I
THREW
DOWN
MY
GUN.
CALLED
HIM
A
PA
AND
HE
CALLED
ME
A
SON,
AND
I
COME
AWAY
WITH
A
DIFFERENT
POINT
OF
VIEW.
AND
I
THINK
ABOUT
HIM
NOW
AND
THEN.
EVERY
TIME
I
TRIED,
EVERY
TIME
I
WINAND
IF
I
EVER
HAVE
A
SON
I
THINKI
AM
GONNA
NAME
HIMBILL
OR
GEORGE -
ANYTHING
BUT
SUE.

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