Lyrics: A Boy Named Sue Live At San Quentin State Prison San Quentin Ca - February 1969
I want you to uh, I want to a
If you don't mind Carl, I'd like you to stay out & help us on some songs
I'd love to
One of the greatest guitar players as well as song writers & singers in Memphis
Appreciate a little help on guitar, alright. Thank you Carl
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to ma & me
Just this old guitar & an empty bottle of booze
Now, I don't blame him cause he run & hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went & named me Sue
Well, he must o' thought that is 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 & I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh & I'd bust his head
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
Well, I grew up quick & I grew up mean
My fist got hard & my wits got keen
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame
But I made a vow to the moon & stars
That I'd search the honky tonks & bars
And kill that man who gave me that awful name
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid July
And I just hit town & my throat was dry
I thought I'd stop & 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 & his evil eye
He was big & bent & gray & old
And I looked at him & 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 & cut off a piece of my ear
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall & into the street
Kicking & a' gouging in the mud & the blood & the beer
I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule & he bit like a crocodile
I heard him laugh & then I heard him cuss
He went for his gun & I pulled mine first
He stood there lookin' at me & 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 ya along
So I give ya that name & 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, & you got the right
To kill me now, & I wouldn't blame you if you do
But ya ought to thank me, before I die
For the gravel in ya guts & the spit in ya eye
'Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue"
Well what could I do? What could I do?
I got all choked up & I threw down my gun
And I called him my Pa, & he called me his son
And I came away with a different point of view
And I think about him, now & then
Every time I try & every time I win
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Any damn thing but Sue!
Alright, thank you very much
If you don't mind Carl, I'd like you to stay out & help us on some songs
I'd love to
One of the greatest guitar players as well as song writers & singers in Memphis
Appreciate a little help on guitar, alright. Thank you Carl
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to ma & me
Just this old guitar & an empty bottle of booze
Now, I don't blame him cause he run & hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left, he went & named me Sue
Well, he must o' thought that is 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 & I'd get red
And some guy'd laugh & I'd bust his head
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
Well, I grew up quick & I grew up mean
My fist got hard & my wits got keen
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame
But I made a vow to the moon & stars
That I'd search the honky tonks & bars
And kill that man who gave me that awful name
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid July
And I just hit town & my throat was dry
I thought I'd stop & 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 & his evil eye
He was big & bent & gray & old
And I looked at him & 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 & cut off a piece of my ear
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall & into the street
Kicking & a' gouging in the mud & the blood & the beer
I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule & he bit like a crocodile
I heard him laugh & then I heard him cuss
He went for his gun & I pulled mine first
He stood there lookin' at me & 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 ya along
So I give ya that name & 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, & you got the right
To kill me now, & I wouldn't blame you if you do
But ya ought to thank me, before I die
For the gravel in ya guts & the spit in ya eye
'Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue"
Well what could I do? What could I do?
I got all choked up & I threw down my gun
And I called him my Pa, & he called me his son
And I came away with a different point of view
And I think about him, now & then
Every time I try & every time I win
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George! Any damn thing but Sue!
Alright, thank you very much
