Well my daddy left home when I was three 
And he didn't leave much to ma and me 
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze. 
Now, I don't blame him cause [bad word] and hid 
But the meanest thing that he ever did 
Was before he left, he went and named me "Sue." 

Well, he must o' thought that is quite a joke 
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk, 
It 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 tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named "Sue." 

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean, 
My fist got hard and my wits got keen, 
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame. 
But I made a vow to the moon and stars 
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars 
And kill that man who gave me that awful name. 

Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July 
And I just hit town and 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, dealing 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'd had, 
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye. 
He was big and bent and gray and old, 
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold 
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' How do you do! 
Now your gonna die!!" 
[ Lyrics from: [bad word] /www [bad word] lyrics/j/johnny_cash/a_boy_named_sue.html ]
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes 
And he went down, but to my surprise,  [bad word] up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear. 
But I busted a chair right across his teeth 
And we crashed through the wall and into the street 
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer. 

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. 
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss, 
He went for his gun and 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 knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along. 
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye 
I knew you'd have to get tough or die 
And it's the name that helped to make you strong." 

He said: "Now you just fought one [bad word] of a fight 
And I know you hate me, and you 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 ya guts and the spit in ya eye 
Cause I'm the son-of-a [bad word] that named you "Sue.'" 

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 came 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 son, I think I'm gonna name him 
Bill or George! Anything but Sue! I still hate that name!