I knew a man with a son
Who bought him a gun
And learned shorty just how to use it
Taught him hunting and skining
Right from the begining
Built himself a mighty fine killer
But shorty got picked on
Beat on and kicked on
And all his classmates wanna punk him
So with tears in his eye
He catch him in a ride
And told his old man he went hunting
And he felt so free
Like his destiny
Lay somewhere out on the horizon
His heart went cold
He felt a hundred years old
And started pulling back on the trigger
CHORUS:
I think I'm gonna die today
And everyone who hurt me's gonna pay
How could such a short time feel so long
How could such a young life go so wrong
(What's it gonna take for you to really make it in life?)
See me
Hear me
But don't touch me
You should fear me
Lived your life dearly
'Cause I'm seriously disturbed
That's my word
Straight to my mother
Wayne, my brother
Who found another one to play sucker
'Cause I ain't the one
Who put shade in your sun
And took all your shine
Watch me get mine
Feel my love burn
Me for my sins
Watch the world turn
The saga begins
Losses and wins
Angels and sins
Dancin' on top
O' the head of a pin
Don't know where I'm going
But I know where I've been
I can't hear a sound
I clapped a full round
I came to get down
I came to get dirty
I came to get even
CHORUS
Momma, don't cry
Please, momma, don't cry
Momma, don't cry
You did nothing wrong
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 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!!"
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 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 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 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-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!
- Johnny -