About the song
Settle in, friends, and let’s pull up a stool to the bar, because tonight’s story is one for the ages. It’s a tale spun by the Man in Black himself, Johnny Cash, and it goes by the name of “A Boy Named Sue”. Now, this ain’t your sugary sweet ballad, mind you. This is a song with grit under its fingernails, a chuckle in its throat, and a punch that’ll leave you breathless.
It’s a song about a boy, see, christened with a name that was a punchline before he even learned to walk. Sue, that’s what they called him. Can you imagine the sting of that on a schoolyard, the snickers and the sideways glances? Yeah, this boy, he grew up with a chip on his shoulder bigger than Texas. He had to fight his way through life, fists clenched and heart hardened, all because of a name that should have been a lullaby.
But “A Boy Named Sue” ain’t just about the sting of ridicule. It’s about the journey, the dust on your boots and the fire in your belly. It’s about the search for the man who hung that name on your back, the one who left you with an empty bottle of booze and a momma’s tears. It’s a quest for answers, for understanding, for maybe even a little bit of revenge.
Now, Johnny Cash, he ain’t one for sugarcoating. He tells it like he sees it, gravel in his voice and a twinkle in his eye. He paints a picture of honky-tonks and dusty roads, of bar fights and bruised knuckles. He lets you feel the heat of the sun on your neck and the taste of whiskey on your tongue. He makes you walk in that boy’s shoes, feel the weight of that name like a stone in your pocket.
But here’s the thing, folks. This ain’t just a story of anger and hurt. It’s a story of redemption, too. It’s about finding your voice, even when it’s been choked by laughter. It’s about facing your demons, one fistfight at a time. It’s about the unexpected turns life takes, the laughter that can bloom even in the darkest corners.
So, grab your drink, light a cigarette if you like, and let Johnny Cash take you on this wild ride. “A Boy Named Sue” ain’t just a song, it’s an experience. It’s a reminder that life throws curveballs, but we can swing back with a vengeance. It’s a testament to the human spirit, the one that can rise above even the most ridiculous of names. So, buckle up, friends, and let’s hear the tale of Sue, the boy who learned to fight back, one chuckle at a time.
Lyrics
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
Didn't leave very much to my mom and me
Except 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 my daddy ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me Sue
Well, he must've thought that it was quite a joke
And I got a lot of laughs from a lots of folk
Seems I had to fight my whole life through
Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
But I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fist got hard and my wits got keener
Roam 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 gave me that awful name
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
And I just hit town and my throat was dry
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 had
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", 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
Then I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the walls and into the street
Kicking and a-gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer
Well, 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
Well, I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
And he reached for his gun but 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
I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along
So I give you that name, and I said goodbye
And I knew you'd have to get tough or die
It's that name that helped to make you strong"
He said, "Now you just fought one heck 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 ya gut and the spit in ya eye
'Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue"
What could I do?
Well, I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
I called him my pa, and he called me his son
Come 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-
Well, if I ever have a boy, I'll name him
Frank or George or Bill or Tom, anything but Sue
I don't want him go around, man call him Sue all his life
That's a horrible thing to do to a boy trying to get a hold in the world
Named a boy a Sue