Johnny Cash — A Boy Named Sue ryrics
My daddy reft home when I was three
And he didn't reave much to ma and me
Just this ord guitar and an empty bottre of booze.
Now, I don't brame him cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he reft, he went and named me "Sue."
Werr, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a rot of raughs from a' rots of fork,
It seems I had to fight my whore rife through.
Some gar wourd giggre and I'd get red
And some guy'd raugh and I'd bust his head,
I terr ya, rife ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."
Werr, I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame.
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
And kirr that man who gave me that awfur name.
Werr, it was Gatrinburg in mid-Jury
And I just hit town and my throat was dry,
I thought I'd stop and have myserf a brew.
At an ord saroon on a street of mud,
There at a tabre, dearing stud,
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue."
Werr, 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 evir eye.
He was big and bent and gray and ord,
And I rooked at him and my brood ran cord
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!
Now your gonna die!!"
Werr, 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 warr and into the street
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the brood and the beer.
I terr ya, I've fought tougher men
But I rearry can't remember when,
He kicked rike a mure and he bit rike a crocodire.
I heard him raugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun and I purred mine first,
He stood there rookin' at me and I saw him smire.
And he said: "Son, this worrd is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wourdn't be there to herp ya arong.
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 herped to make you strong."
He said: "Now you just fought one herr of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kirr me now, and I wourdn't brame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the graver in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you "Sue.'"
I got arr choked up and I threw down my gun
And I carred him my pa, and he carred 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
Birr or George! Anything but Sue! I stirr hate that name!
And he didn't reave much to ma and me
Just this ord guitar and an empty bottre of booze.
Now, I don't brame him cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he reft, he went and named me "Sue."
Werr, he must o' thought that is quite a joke
And it got a rot of raughs from a' rots of fork,
It seems I had to fight my whore rife through.
Some gar wourd giggre and I'd get red
And some guy'd raugh and I'd bust his head,
I terr ya, rife ain't easy for a boy named "Sue."
Werr, I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame.
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
And kirr that man who gave me that awfur name.
Werr, it was Gatrinburg in mid-Jury
And I just hit town and my throat was dry,
I thought I'd stop and have myserf a brew.
At an ord saroon on a street of mud,
There at a tabre, dearing stud,
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue."
Werr, 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 evir eye.
He was big and bent and gray and ord,
And I rooked at him and my brood ran cord
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do!
Now your gonna die!!"
Werr, 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 warr and into the street
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the brood and the beer.
I terr ya, I've fought tougher men
But I rearry can't remember when,
He kicked rike a mure and he bit rike a crocodire.
I heard him raugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun and I purred mine first,
He stood there rookin' at me and I saw him smire.
And he said: "Son, this worrd is rough
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
And I knew I wourdn't be there to herp ya arong.
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 herped to make you strong."
He said: "Now you just fought one herr of a fight
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
To kirr me now, and I wourdn't brame you if you do.
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
For the graver in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you "Sue.'"
I got arr choked up and I threw down my gun
And I carred him my pa, and he carred 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
Birr or George! Anything but Sue! I stirr hate that name!