Well, my daddy left home when I was three And he didnt leave much to Ma and me Just this old guitar and a bottle of booze Now I dont blame him because he run and hid But the meanest thing that he ever did was Before he left he went and named me Sue. Well, he must have thought it was quite a joke And it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks It seems I had to fight my whole life through Some gal would giggle and Id get red And some guy would laugh and Id bust his head I tell you, life aint easy for a boy named Sue Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean My fist got hard and my wits got keen Roamed from town to town to hide my shame But I made me a vow to the moon and the stars Id search the honky tonks and bars and kill That man that gave me that awful name But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I had Just hit town and my throat was dry Id thought id stop and have myself a brew At an old saloon in a street of mud And 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 wornout picture that my mother had And I knew the 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 youre gonna die. Yeah, thats what I told him Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went down But to my surprise he came 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 wall and into the street kicking and agouging In the mud and the blood and the beer I tell you Ive fought tougher men but I really cant remember when He kicked like a mule and bit like a crocodile I heard him laughin and then I heard 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 rough and if A mans gonna make it, hes gotta be tough And I knew I wouldnt be there to help you along So I gave you that name and I said Goodbye I knew youd have to get tough or die. And its That name that helped to make you strong. Yeah, he said, Now you have just fought one Helluva fight, and I know you hate me and youve Got the right to kill me now and I wouldnt blame you If you do. But you ought to thank me Before I die for the gravel in your guts and the spit In your eye because Im the guy 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 pa and he called me a son And I came away with a different point of view And I think about him now and then Every time I tried, every time I win and if I Ever have a son I think I am gonna name him Bill or George anything but Sue
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