A Boy Named Sue

A Boy Named Sue Am Dm E Am Am Well, my daddy left home When I was three Dm And he didn't leave very much to my ma and me E Am Jus’ this ol’ guitar and an empty bottle of booze Am Now I don't blame him 'Cause he run and hid Dm But the meanest thing that my daddy ever did E Am Was before he left he went and named me Sue Am Well He must’ve thought that it was quite a joke Dm And it got a lot of laughs from lots a folks E Am Seems I had to fight my whole life through Am Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red Dm And some boy'd laugh and I'd bust his head E Am I'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue Am Well, I grew up fast and I grew up mean Dm My fists got hard and my wits got keen E Am Roamed from town to town to hide my shame Am So I made me a vow to the moon and stars Dm That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars E Am And k**l the man that gave Me that awful name Am Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July Dm And I'd just hit town and my throat was dry E Am So I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew Am At an old saloon on a street of mud Dm There at a table dealin' stud E Am Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me Sue Am Well I knew that snake was my own sweet dad Dm From a worn out picture that my mother had E Am I Knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye Am He was big and thin and grey and old Dm E And I looked at him and my blood ran cold, and I said E Am "My name is Sue! How do you do? Now you’re gonna die!" Am Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes Dm And he went down but to my surprise E Am He Came up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear Am Then I busted a chair right across his teeth Dm And we crashed through the wall and into the street E Am Kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer Am Well I tell ya, I've fought tougher men Dm But I really can't remember when E Am He kicked like a mule and He bit like a crocodile Am I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss Dm And he reached for his gun but I pulled mine first E Am He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile And he said "Son, Am this world is rough and if a man's gonna make Dm It he's gotta be tough E Am And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along Am So I gave you that name and I said goodbye Dm I knew you'd have to get tough or die E Am And it's that name that helped to make you strong." He said, Am "Now you just fought one heck of a fight Dm And I know you hate me and ya got the right E Am To k**l me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do Am But you oughta thank me before I die Dm for the gravel in your guts n’ the spit in yer eye ' E Am Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue." Yeah, what could I do? Am I got all choked up and threw down my gun Dm Called him my pa and he called me his son E Am And I came away with a different point of view Am And I think about him now and then Dm Every time I try and every time I win E And if I ever have a boy I'll name him E Bill or George or Frank E Anything dam thing but Sue! E Am I still hate that name