A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash

Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
and he didn't leave much to ma and me,
Just this ole guitar and an empty bottle of booze.

Now I don't blame him 'cause he ran and hid,
But the meanest (1)__________ that he ever did,
Was before he left he went and named me Sue.

Well, he musta thought that it was quite a joke,
An' it got a lot of laughs from lots a folks,
Seems I had to fight my whole life through.

Some gal would giggle and I'd get red,
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I'll (2)________ ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.

I grew up (3)__________ and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I roamed from town to town to hide my shame.

But I made me a vow 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,
and i'd just hit town and my (4)____________ was dry,
thought I'd stop and have myself a brew.

In and old saloon on a street of mud,
There at a table dealin' stud,
Sat the 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 had,
and I knew that scar on his cheek & his evil eye.

He was big and bent and grey and old,
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold, and I said,
"My name is Sue! how do you do! Now you gonna die!"
Yeah that's what I told him.

Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes,
And he went down but to my surprise,
Came up with a knife an' cut off a piece o' my ear.

I busted a chair right across his teeth,
And we crashed through the wall and into the street,
Kickin' and a gougin' in the the mud and the blood and the beer.

I tell you I've fought tougher men,
but I really can't remember when,
he kicked like a mule and he bit (5)________ a crocodile.

Well I (6)__________ him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun but I pulled (7)________ first,
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile.

And he said, "Son, this world is rough,
And if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough,
And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along.

So I gave you that name and I said goodbye,
I knew you'd have to get tough or die,
And it's that name that helped to make you strong.

Now you just fought one hell of a fight,
And I know you hate me and ya got the right,
To kill me now and I wouldn't (8)__________ you if you do.

But you oughtta thank me 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."

yeah, what could I do, what COULD I do?
Well I got choked up and threw down my gun,
Called him my pa and he called me his son,
And I (9)________ away with a different point of view.

I think (10)__________ him now and then,
Every time I try and every time I win,
And if I ever have a son,
I think I'm gonna name him,
Bill or George anything but Sue!
I still hate that name!

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