Silverstein's passion for music was clear early on as he studied for a while at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. As a songwriter, Silverstein kept a low profile but cast a long shadow. He tended to shun publicity and even photographers. Nonetheless, his musical output included many songs which were hits for other artists. Most notably, he wrote the music and lyrics for "A Boy Named Sue" that was performed by Johnny Cash (for which he won a Grammy in 1970); "One's on the Way" (which was a hit for Loretta Lynn), and "The Unicorn Song" which, despite having nothing to do with Ireland nor Irish culture, became the signature piece for The Irish Rovers in 1968 and is popular in pubs all over the world to this day. He wrote the lyrics and music for most of the Dr. Hook songs, including "Cover of the Rolling Stone", "Freakin' at the Freakers' Ball", "Sylvia's Mother", and the cautionary song about VD, "Don't Give a Dose to the One You Love Most". He also wrote many of the songs performed by Bobby Bare, including "Marie Laveau", "Rosalie's Good Eats Cafe", "The Mermaid", "The Winner", and "Tequila Sheila". The song "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan",] recorded in 1979 by Marianne Faithfull and later featured in the films Montenegro and Thelma & Louise, was also by Silverstein.
A Boy Named Sue
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and he didn't leave much to ma and me,
Just this ole 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.
An' it got a lot of laughs from lots a folks,
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'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.
I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
I roamed from town to town to hide my shame.
But I made me a vow to the moon and stars,
I'd search the honky-tonks and bars,
And kill that man that gave me that awful name.
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July,
and i'd just hit town and my throat was dry,
thought I'd stop and have myself a brew.
In and old saloon on a street of mud,
There at a table dealin' 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 that scar on his cheek & 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 you gonna die!"
Yeah that's what I told him.
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes,
And he went down but to my surprise,
Came up with a knife an' cut off a piece o' my ear.
I busted a chair right across his teeth,
And we crashed through the wall and into the street,
Kickin' and a gougin' in the 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.
Well I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
He went for his gun but 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 know 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.
Now you just fought one hell of a fight,
And I know you hate me and ya got the right,
To kill me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do.
But you oughtta thank me before I die,
For the gravel in your gut and the spit in your eye,
'Cause I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue."
yeah, what could I do, what COULD I do?
Well I got choked up and threw down my gun,
Called him my pa and he called me his son,
And I come away with a different point of view.
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!
The song A Boy Named Sue tells the story of a man named Sue, who was given his unique name by his father just before he abandoned him and his mother. The song explores how the name affected and influenced him throughout his life - giving him the strength to be tough and resilient, but also causing him to face ridicule and hardship as he fought against the world's stereotypical image of someone with such a name. The lyrics show how Sue's struggle with his name took him on a journey to track down his father, to get revenge for his abandonment and for the name Sue.
The song's storyline acts as an allegory for how names can shape an individual's life and identity. It highlights how a single word can create an image of who they are and influence how others view them - for better or for worse. Shel Silverstein's lyrics provide a cautionary tale about the power of naming, suggesting that parents should choose their child's name carefully - for it may have a much greater impact than they may realize.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, my daddy left home when I was three,
My father abandoned us when I was a child
and he didn't leave much to ma and me,
He didn't leave us with anything, only an old guitar and an empty bottle of alcohol
But the meanest thing that he ever did,
The worst thing he ever did was name me Sue
Seems I had to fight my whole life through.
Having a feminine name made me the target of ridicule and bullying throughout my life
I'd bust his head, I'll tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named Sue.
I'd fight with anyone who made fun of my name, and it was a difficult life to live
And kill that man that gave me that awful name.
I made a vow to find and kill the man who gave me the name Sue
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me Sue.
To my surprise, I found the man who named me Sue in a saloon in Gatlinburg
Now you gonna die!
I confronted him with the intent to kill him
So I gave you that name and I said goodbye,
He gave me my name as a way to make me tough and said goodbye
And it's that name that helped to make you strong.
My difficult name gave me the strength to overcome challenges
And I come away with a different point of view.
After fighting my father, I gained a new perspective
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him, Bill or George anything but Sue!
I decided that I would never give my own son a difficult name like what my father did to me
I still hate that name!
Despite everything, I still hate the name Sue
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Shel Silverstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Schmitt
What a shear pleasure hearing these words sang by Shell Silverstein giving the emphasis and cadence originally intended for the poem . Don't get me wrong Johnny's version was great and Shell liked the way he did it, but to hear it done as envisioned by the artist is a great privilege Thank you for posting.
TreeofLiberty Defense
this blew my mind. I loved "Where the sidewalk ends" as a child. I love Johnny Cash as an adult. It's incredible to me that he fits right in between.
Jonothan Thrace
I love Shel's manic singing voice.
Kairu Hakubi
not what I expected shel silverstein's voice to sound like XD
Ranch Dressing
I used to listen to him reading his poems on cassette when I was a kid.
Battle Of Trenton
I used to listen to his audiobooks on LP vinyl as a child, so I am well acquainted with that gravely voice.
Kylopod
As a childhood fan of "Light in the Attic" (one of Silverstein's books of humorously perverse poetry), I loved this--the first time I've heard his voice. What amazes me a little is that, while Cash's version is still a classic, this one actually holds its own against it. I guess the difference (besides a slightly different ending to the story) is that Cash approached it more as a singer, Silverstein more as an actor. Cash may have had the better voice, but damn if Silverstein wasn't expressive.
Frannie Fargo
I was familiar with the Johnny Cash which always seemed a bit lame version is great.
Battle Of Trenton
I used to listen to his audiobooks on vinyl LP as a child, so I am well acquainted with that gravely voice.
SirCoughsalot
He sings like a crazed version of the young Bob Dylan. I dig it.