Well, my daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to ma and me
Just this 'ol 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 musta thought that it was quite a joke
And it got a lot of laughs from a lot's a 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'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fist got hard, 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 gave me 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 dealin' 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 grey 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
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 walls and into the street
Kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer
I'll tell ya, 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
And he reached for his gun, but I pulled mine first
He stood there lookin' at me, and then I saw him smile
He said, "Son, this world is rough and if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough
And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along
So I gave you that name and I said goodbye
And 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 just fought one hell of a fight
And I know you hate me and ya got t'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 gut and the spit in the eye
'Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue"
Yeah, what did I do? What could I do?
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
I called him my pa, and he called me his son
And I 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 boy, I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George, any damn thing but Sue
I still hate that man, yeah
Thank you
Alright, thank you very much