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A Boy Named Sue

Johnny Cash

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Song: A Boy Named Sue Artist: Johnny cash Tuning: Standard (EADGBe) Capo on 1st fret NOTE: Both E and Em sound fine, so interchange them as you will. I personally use E A My daddy left home when I was three D And he didn't leave much to ma and me E A Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze. A 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 o' thought that is quite a joke D And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk, E A It seems I had to fight my whole life through. A Some gal would giggle and I'd get red D And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head, E A I tell ya, 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 I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame. A But I made a vow to the moon and stars D That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars E A And kill that man who gave me that awful name. A Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July D And I just hit town and my throat was dry, E A I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew. A At an old saloon on a street of mud, D There at a table, dealing stud, E A Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue." A Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad D From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had, E A And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye. A 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!!" 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. A But I busted a chair right across his teeth D And we crashed through the wall and into the street E A Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer. A I tell ya, 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. A I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss, 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 ya along. A So I give ya that name and I said goodbye D I knew you'd have to get tough or die E A And it's the name that helped to make you strong." A He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight D And I know you hate me, and you got the right E A To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do. A But ya ought to thank me, before I die, D For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye E A Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you "Sue.'" A I got all choked up and I threw down my gun D And I called him my pa, and he called me his son, E A And I came away with a different point of view. A And I think about him, now and then, D Every time I try and every time I win, [No Chords] And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him A (keep strumming) Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!
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