GWell My daddy left home when I was three
And he Cdidn't leave much for my ma and me
Just Dthis ol' guitar and an empty bottle of boozeG
Now I don't blame him 'cause he run an' hid
But the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left he went an' named me Sue
Well he must have thought it was quite a joke
An it got a lot of laughs from lots of folks
Seems I had to fight my whole life through
Some gal would giggle an' I'd turn red
Some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
I tell ya life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
Well I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fists got hard and my wits got keen
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame
I made me a promise 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
I'd just hit town an' 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 that 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
I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye
He was big an' bent an' gray an' old
I looked at him an' my blood run cold
An' I said my name is Sue how do you do?
Now you're gonna die yeah, that's what I told him
Oh I hit him hard right between the eyes
An' he went down but to my surprise
He come up with a knife an' cut off a piece of my ear
Well I busted a chair right across his teeth
We crashed through the wall and into the street
Kickin' an' a gougin' in the mud the blood and the beer
I tell ya I've fought tougher men
I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule an' he bit like a crocodile
I heard him laugh and I heard him cuss
He went for his gun but I pulled mine first
He stood there an' he looked at me an I saw him smile
He said son this world is rough
An' if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough
An I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along
He said now you just fought one helluva fight
I know you hate me and you got the right
An I wouldn't blame you if you do
But you oughta thank me now before I die
For the gravel in your gut and the spit in your eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you Sue
What could I do what could I do?
I got all choked up and threw down my gun
I called him my pa and he called me his son
I came away with a different point of view
An I think about him every now and then
Ever' time I fight ever' time I win
An' if I ever have a son I think I'm gonna name him
Bill or George anything but Sue