A Boy Named Sue v1

intro ||: A | A | A | A :|| capo I (III)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
D
and he didn't leave much for ma and me,
E A
just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze

Now, I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid,
D
but the meanest thing that he ever did
E A
was before he left, he went and named me Sue
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Well, he must have thought that it was quite a joke,
D
and it got a lot of laughs from a lots of folks
E A
It seems I had to fight my whole life through,

Some gal would giggle and I'd get red,
D
some guy would laugh and I'd bust his head,
E A
I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
D
my fist got hard and my wits got keen
E A
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame,

but I made me a vow to the moon and stars,
D
I'd search the honky-tonks and bars,
E A
and kill that man that gave me that awful name
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid July,
D
and I had just hit town and my throat was dry
E A
I'd thought I'd stop by and have myself a brew

At an old saloon on a street of mud,
D
there at a table, dealin' stud,
E A
sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me Sue
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Well, I knew that the snake was my own sweet dad
D
from a worn-out picture that my mother'd had
E A
And I knew the scar on his cheek and his evil eye

He was big and bent and gray and old,
D
and I looked at him and my blood ran cold,
E A
and I said, "My name is Sue. How do you do ?

Now you gonna die." Yeah, that's what I told him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes,
D
and he went down, but to my surprise
E A
he come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear

But I busted a chair right across his teeth
D
And we smashed through the wall and into the street,
E A
kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
I tell you, I've fought tougher men,
D
but I really can't remember when
E A
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile

I heard him laugh and then I heard him cussin',
D
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first
E A
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
And he said, "Son, this world is rough,
D
and if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
E A
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along

So I gave you that name and I said, 'goodbye'
D
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
E A
And it's that name that helped to make you strong"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
Yeah, he said, "now, you just fought one hell of a fight,
D
and I know you hate me and you've got the right
E A
to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do

But you ought to thank me before I die
D
for the gravel in your guts and the spit in your eye,
E A
'cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue "
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A D
Yeah, what could I do ? What could I do ?
E
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun,
A
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,
D
ev'ry time I try and ev'ry time I win,
E
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him ...
A
Bill or George. Anything, but Sue

I hate that name. Yeah!