My daddy left home when i was three
and he didnand't leave much to ma and me
just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.
now, i donand'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 and'sue.and'
well, he must oand' thought that is was quite a joke
and it got a lot of laughs from aand' lots of folk,
it seems i had to fight my whole life through.
some gal would giggle and iand'd get red
and some guyand'd laugh and iand'd bust his head,
i tell ya, life ainand't easy for a boy named and'sue.and'
Well, i grew up quick and i grew up mean,
my fist got hard and my wits got keen,
iand'd roam from town to town to hide my shame.
but i made me a vow to the moon and stars
that iand'd search the honky-tonks and bars
and kill that man that give me that awful name.
Well, it was gatlinburg in mid-july
and i just hit town and my throat was dry,
i thought iand'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 and'sue.and'
Well, i knew that snake was my own sweet dad
andgt;from a worn-out picture that my motherand'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: andquot;my name is and'sue!and' how do you do! now you gonna die!andquot;
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 aand' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer.
I tell ya, iand've fought tougher men
but i really canand'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 lookinand' at me and i saw him smile.
And he said: andquot;son, this world is rough
and if a manand's gonna make it, heand's gotta be tough
and i know i wouldnand't be there to help ya along.
so i give ya that name and i said good-bye
i knew youand'd have to get tough or die
and itand's that name that helped to make you strong.andquot;
He said: and'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 wouldnand'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 iand'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you and'sueand'.and'
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 son, i think iand'm gonna name him
bill or george! anything but sue! i still hate that name!
