A Boy Named Sue - Live at The White House, Washington D.C., April 17, 1970
๐ต 2735 characters
โฑ๏ธ 3:39 duration
๐ ID: 6994185
๐ Lyrics
And for my second song, Mr. President
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
He didn't leave much to ma and me
This is ol' guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid
With the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left he went and named me Sue
Well, he musta thought that it was quite a joke
Got a lot of laughs from lot's of folks
Seems I had to fight my whole life through
Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
I'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
But, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fist got hard, my wits got keen
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 throat was dry
Thought I'd stop and have myself a brew
At an old saloon on a street of mud
And 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
I knew that scar on his cheek and 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!"
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down but to my surprise
Come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear
And I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
Kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer
Well I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
Well, I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
He reached for his gun but I pulled mine 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
It's that name that helped to make you strong"
He said, "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 blame you if you do."
But ya ought to thank me before I die
For the gravel in your gut and the spit in the eye
'Cause I'm the that named you Sue
(What should I do?)
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I 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
Every time I try and every time I win
And if I ever have a boy, I guess I'll call him John Carter Cash
(This is him I got it)
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
He didn't leave much to ma and me
This is ol' guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid
With the meanest thing that he ever did
Was before he left he went and named me Sue
Well, he musta thought that it was quite a joke
Got a lot of laughs from lot's of folks
Seems I had to fight my whole life through
Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
I'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
But, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fist got hard, my wits got keen
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 throat was dry
Thought I'd stop and have myself a brew
At an old saloon on a street of mud
And 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
I knew that scar on his cheek and 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!"
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down but to my surprise
Come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear
And I busted a chair right across his teeth
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
Kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer
Well I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
But I really can't remember when
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
Well, I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
He reached for his gun but I pulled mine 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
It's that name that helped to make you strong"
He said, "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 blame you if you do."
But ya ought to thank me before I die
For the gravel in your gut and the spit in the eye
'Cause I'm the that named you Sue
(What should I do?)
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
And I 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
Every time I try and every time I win
And if I ever have a boy, I guess I'll call him John Carter Cash
(This is him I got it)
โฑ๏ธ Synced Lyrics
[00:00.10] And for my second song, Mr. President
[00:03.59]
[00:09.68] Well, my daddy left home when I was three
[00:11.56] He didn't leave much to ma and me
[00:13.58] This is ol' guitar and an empty bottle of booze
[00:19.15] Now I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid
[00:20.79] With the meanest thing that he ever did
[00:23.32] Was before he left he went and named me Sue
[00:27.96] Well, he musta thought that it was quite a joke
[00:29.86] Got a lot of laughs from lot's of folks
[00:32.41] Seems I had to fight my whole life through
[00:37.05] Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red
[00:38.95] And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
[00:41.14] I'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
[00:45.79] But, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
[00:48.34] My fist got hard, my wits got keen
[00:50.49] Roamed from town to town to hide my shame
[00:55.42] But I made me a vow to the moon and stars
[00:57.44] I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
[01:00.28] And kill that man that gave me that awful name
[01:04.25] Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
[01:06.54] And I'd just hit town and my throat was dry
[01:09.53] Thought I'd stop and have myself a brew
[01:13.58] At an old saloon on a street of mud
[01:15.85] And there at a table dealin' stud
[01:18.45] Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me Sue
[01:22.97] Well I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
[01:25.02] From a worn out picture that my mother had
[01:27.42] I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye
[01:32.11] He was big and bent and grey and old
[01:34.54] 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!"
[01:42.86]
[01:50.67] Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
[01:52.32] And he went down but to my surprise
[01:55.03] Come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear
[01:59.33] And I busted a chair right across his teeth
[02:01.52] And we crashed through the wall and into the street
[02:04.37] Kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer
[02:08.62] Well I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
[02:10.74] But I really can't remember when
[02:13.44] He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
[02:17.79] Well, I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
[02:19.75] He reached for his gun but I pulled mine first
[02:22.50] He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile
[02:25.94] And he said, "Son, this world is rough and if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough
[02:30.59] And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along
[02:34.77] So I gave you that name and I said goodbye
[02:36.89] I knew you'd have to get tough or die
[02:39.59] It's that name that helped to make you strong"
[02:43.40] He said, "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
[02:45.63] And I know you hate me and ya got the right
[02:48.67] To kill me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do."
[02:53.17] But ya ought to thank me before I die
[02:55.17] For the gravel in your gut and the spit in the eye
[02:57.41] 'Cause I'm the that named you Sue
[03:03.65] (What should I do?)
[03:06.52] I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
[03:08.67] And I called him my pa and he called me his son
[03:11.22] And I come away with a different point of view
[03:15.76] And I think about him now and then
[03:18.09] Every time I try and every time I win
[03:20.04] And if I ever have a boy, I guess I'll call him John Carter Cash
[03:25.20]
[03:35.69] (This is him I got it)
[03:36.56]
[00:03.59]
[00:09.68] Well, my daddy left home when I was three
[00:11.56] He didn't leave much to ma and me
[00:13.58] This is ol' guitar and an empty bottle of booze
[00:19.15] Now I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid
[00:20.79] With the meanest thing that he ever did
[00:23.32] Was before he left he went and named me Sue
[00:27.96] Well, he musta thought that it was quite a joke
[00:29.86] Got a lot of laughs from lot's of folks
[00:32.41] Seems I had to fight my whole life through
[00:37.05] Some gal would giggle and I'd turn red
[00:38.95] And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
[00:41.14] I'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
[00:45.79] But, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
[00:48.34] My fist got hard, my wits got keen
[00:50.49] Roamed from town to town to hide my shame
[00:55.42] But I made me a vow to the moon and stars
[00:57.44] I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
[01:00.28] And kill that man that gave me that awful name
[01:04.25] Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
[01:06.54] And I'd just hit town and my throat was dry
[01:09.53] Thought I'd stop and have myself a brew
[01:13.58] At an old saloon on a street of mud
[01:15.85] And there at a table dealin' stud
[01:18.45] Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me Sue
[01:22.97] Well I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
[01:25.02] From a worn out picture that my mother had
[01:27.42] I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye
[01:32.11] He was big and bent and grey and old
[01:34.54] 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!"
[01:42.86]
[01:50.67] Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
[01:52.32] And he went down but to my surprise
[01:55.03] Come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear
[01:59.33] And I busted a chair right across his teeth
[02:01.52] And we crashed through the wall and into the street
[02:04.37] Kickin' and a gougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer
[02:08.62] Well I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
[02:10.74] But I really can't remember when
[02:13.44] He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
[02:17.79] Well, I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
[02:19.75] He reached for his gun but I pulled mine first
[02:22.50] He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile
[02:25.94] And he said, "Son, this world is rough and if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough
[02:30.59] And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along
[02:34.77] So I gave you that name and I said goodbye
[02:36.89] I knew you'd have to get tough or die
[02:39.59] It's that name that helped to make you strong"
[02:43.40] He said, "Now you just fought one hell of a fight
[02:45.63] And I know you hate me and ya got the right
[02:48.67] To kill me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do."
[02:53.17] But ya ought to thank me before I die
[02:55.17] For the gravel in your gut and the spit in the eye
[02:57.41] 'Cause I'm the that named you Sue
[03:03.65] (What should I do?)
[03:06.52] I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
[03:08.67] And I called him my pa and he called me his son
[03:11.22] And I come away with a different point of view
[03:15.76] And I think about him now and then
[03:18.09] Every time I try and every time I win
[03:20.04] And if I ever have a boy, I guess I'll call him John Carter Cash
[03:25.20]
[03:35.69] (This is him I got it)
[03:36.56]