Expert: Mel Priddle - 4/26/2008

Question
Dear expert,
           I'm hoping you can answer this with as little info as I
have.
I'm looking for a country song about a man who gave his son a girly
name when he was born and left shortly after. His son was beat up pretty
much every day because of the name his father gave him. Same son spent
his life looking for his father to find out why he did it. And when he
found him, his father said something like (to make you the man you are
today).
Something like that. Any idea?
Thank you very much in advance for you help
-Dave


Answer
Hello Dave,

What you've described there is the storyline to the Johnny Cash million-selling 1969 hit song, "A Boy Named Sue" (written by Shel Silverstein).


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 he run 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 was 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 see red
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
I tell you, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue

Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean
My fists 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 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 your gonna die!!"

Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
And he went down, but to my surprise
He come 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 you, 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 got to be tough
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help you along

So I give you 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 hell 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 you ought to thank me, before I die
For the gravel in your guts and the spit in you eye
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch 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!


Glad to be of help. Cheers........Mel.