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.
Boy Named Sue
Shel Silverstein Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And, that was OK and everything except, then I started to think about it, and I thought, It is unfair.
I am, I am loking at the whole thing from te poor kid's point of view.
And as I get more older and more fatherly, I began to look at things from old men's point of view.
So, I decided to give the old man equal time. OK, here we go...
Yea, I left home when the kid was three
And it sure felt good to be fancy free
But that kid kept screaming and throwing up
And pissing his pants till I had enough
So just for revenge I went and named him Sue
Yeah!
It was Gatlinburg in mid July
I was gettin drunk but gettin by
Gettin old and going from bad to worse
When through the door with an awful scream
Come the ugliest queen I've ever seen
He says, "My name is Sue, how do you do?"
Then he hits me with his purse
Now this ain't the way he tells the tale
But he scratched my face with his fingernails
And Then he bit my thumb
And kicked me with his high heel shoe
So I hit him in the nose and he started to cry
And he threw some perume in my eye
And it sure ain't easy fightin an old boy named Sue
So I hit him in the head with a cane back chair
And he screamed, "Hey dad, you mussed my hair!"
And he hit me in the navel and knocked out a piece of my lint
He was spittin blood, I was spittin teeth
And we crashed through the wall and out into the street
Kickin and gouging in the mud and the blood and the creame de menthe
Then out of his garter he pulls a gun
I'm about to get shot by my very own son
He's screaing about Sigmnd Freud and looking grim - woo
So I thought fast and I told him some stuff
How I named him Sue just to make him tough
And I guess he bught it cause now I'm living with him
Yeah he cooks and sews and cleans up the place
He cuts my hair and shaves my face
And irons my shirts better than a daughter could do
And on nights that I can't score
Well, I can't tell you any more
But it sure is a joy to have a boy named Sue
Yeah a son is fun but it's joy to have a boy named Sue!
Shel Silverstein’s song “A Boy Named Sue” tells the story of a man who grew up with a difficult name thanks to his father’s decision to give him a feminine name that would make him tough. The song then tells the story of the father, who left his child when he was young and describes how he felt free without the responsibility of a child. The song’s narrative then picks up again at the point when the father and his child reunite in a bar for a physical fight, which ultimately leads to the father explaining that he named his son “Sue” to toughen him up in a harsh world.
Silverstein’s song is a commentary on the complexity of father-son relationships and how fathers’ actions can shape sons in ways that might not be immediately clear to those around them. The song also raises issues of identity, self-worth and coming of age. Silverstein’s storytelling skills are in full force as he weaves together vivid language and characters that help to paint a picture of the complex relationships that can occur between parents and children.
Line by Line Meaning
Yea, I left home when the kid was three And it sure felt good to be fancy free Though I knew it wasn't quite the fatherly thing to do But that kid kept screaming and throwing up And pissing his pants till I had enough So just for revenge I went and named him Sue Yeah!
The father abandoned his child at a young age because he found it too difficult to handle. The child gave him trouble and he named him Sue as an act of revenge.
It was Gatlinburg in mid July I was gettin drunk but gettin by Gettin old and going from bad to worse When through the door with an awful scream Come the ugliest queen I've ever seen He says, "My name is Sue, how do you do?" Then he hits me with his purse
The father encountered his son, Sue, many years later in a drunken state. Sue confronts him and attacks him.
Now this ain't the way he tells the tale But he scratched my face with his fingernails And Then he bit my thumb And kicked me with his high heel shoe So I hit him in the nose and he started to cry And he threw some perume in my eye And it sure ain't easy fightin an old boy named Sue
The son, Sue, fought back against his father by using his nails, biting him and throwing perfume in his eyes. The father hit him in response and the two had a physical altercation.
So I hit him in the head with a cane back chair And he screamed, "Hey dad, you mussed my hair!" And he hit me in the navel and knocked out a piece of my lint He was spittin blood, I was spittin teeth And we crashed through the wall and out into the street Kickin and gouging in the mud and the blood and the creame de menthe
The fight between the father and son escalated to the point where they hit each other with chairs, fists and other objects. They crashed out into the street and continued fighting in the mud and spilled alcohol.
Then out of his garter he pulls a gun I'm about to get shot by my very own son He's screaing about Sigmnd Freud and looking grim - woo So I thought fast and I told him some stuff How I named him Sue just to make him tough And I guess he bught it cause now I'm living with him
Sue pulls out a gun and threatens to shoot his own father. The father tells Sue that he named him Sue to make him tough and they reconcile.
Yeah he cooks and sews and cleans up the place He cuts my hair and shaves my face And irons my shirts better than a daughter could do And on nights that I can't score Well, I can't tell you any more But it sure is a joy to have a boy named Sue Yeah a son is fun but it's joy to have a boy named Sue!
The father now lives with Sue, who takes care of him by cooking, cleaning and doing other household chores. The father suggests that having a son named Sue is more fun than having a regular son.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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.