A#0 0My daddy left home when I was three D#1 1And he didn't leave much to ma and me F2 A#3 2Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze. A#4 3Now, I don't blame him cause he run and hid D#5 4But the meanest thing that he ever did F6 A#7 5Was before he left, he went and named me "Sue." 6 7 A#8 8Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke D#9 9And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk, F10 A#11 10It seems I had to fight my whole life through. A#12 11Some gal would giggle and I'd get red D#13 12And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head, F14 A#15 13I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue." 14 15 A#16 16Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean, D#17 17My fist got hard and my wits got keen, F18 A#19 18I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame. A#20 19But I made a vow to the moon and stars D#21 20That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars F22 A#23 21And kill that man who gave me that awful name. 22 23 A#24 24Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July D#25 25And I just hit town and my throat was dry, F26 A#27 26I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew. A#28 27At an old saloon on a street of mud, D#29 28There at a table, dealing stud, F30 A#31 29Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me "Sue." 30 31 A#32 32Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad D#33 33From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had, F34 A#35 34And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye. A#36 35He was big and bent and gray and old, D#37 36And I looked at him and my blood ran cold F38 A#39 37And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do! 38 39Now you gonna die!!" 40 41 A#40 42Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes D#41 43And he went down, but to my surprise, F42 A#43 44He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear. A#44 45But I busted a chair right across his teeth D#45 46And we crashed through the wall and into the street F46 A#47 47Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer. 48 49 A#48 50I tell ya, I've fought tougher men D#49 51But I really can't remember when, F50 A#51 52He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile. A#52 53I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss, D#53 54He went for his gun and I pulled mine first, F54 A#55 55He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile. 56 57 A#56 58And he said: "Son, this world is rough D#57 59And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough F58 A#59 60And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along. A#60 61So I give ya that name and I said goodbye D#61 62I knew you'd have to get tough or die F62 A#63 63And it's the name that helped to make you strong." 64 65 A#64 66He said: "Now you just fought one hell of a fight D#65 67And I know you hate me, and you got the right F66 A#67 68To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you do. A#68 69But ya ought to thank me, before I die, D#69 70For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye F70 A#71 71Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you "Sue.'" 72 73 A#72 74I got all choked up and I threw down my gun D#73 75And I called him my pa, and he called me his son, F74 A#75 76And I came away with a different point of view. A#76 77And I think about him, now and then, D#77 78Every time I try and every time I win, 79-No Chords- 80And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him A78 - keep strumming - 81Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!