Well, my daddy left home when I was three
And he didn't leave much to Ma and me
Just this old guitar and a bottle of booze
Now I don't blame him because 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 have thought it was quite a joke
And it got lots of laughs from a lot of folks
It seems I had to fight my whole life through
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
And some guy would 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 fist got hard and my wits got keen
Roamed from town to town to hide my shame
But I made me a vow to the moon and the stars
I'd search the honky tonks and bars and kill
That man that gave me that awful name

But it was Gatlinburg in mid July and I had
Just hit town and my throat was dry
I'd thought i'd stop and have myself a brew
At an old saloon in a street of mud
And 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 had
And I knew the 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 you're gonna die.' Yeah, that's what I told him

Well, I hit him right between the eyes and he went down
But to my surprise he came 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 bit like a crocodile
I heard him laughin' and then I heard him cussin'
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first
He stood there looking 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 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.'
Yeah, he said, 'Now you have just fought one
Helluva fight, and I know you hate me and you've
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 your eye because I'm the guy that named you Sue.'
Yeah, what could I do? What could I do?

I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
Called him pa and he called me a son
And I came away with a different point of view
And I think about him now and then
Every time I tried, every time I win and if I
Ever have a son I think I am gonna name him
Bill or George - anything but Sue