ForgotPassword?
Sign Up
Search this Topic:
Forum Jump
Posts: 4072
Jul 7 07 11:15 PM
"A Boy Named Sue" 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!
Interact
Posts: 329
Jul 8 07 8:20 AM
Posts: 13643
Jul 8 07 8:59 AM
Jul 8 07 2:03 PM
In the late 1960s Silverstein became also known for being a composer and lyricist of songs, including "A Boy Named Sue" (sung by Johnny Cash, 1969), "One's On The Way", "The Unicorn" (sung by the Irish Rovers), "Boa Constrictor", "So Good To So Bad", "Sylvia's Mother" (sung by Dr. Hook, 1972), "The Great Conch Train Robbery", and "Yes, Mr. Rogers". Albums of Silverstein's songs recorded by others include FREAKIN' AT THE FREAKER'S BALL [Columbia] (1972), SLOPPY SECONDS [Columbia] (1972), DR. HOOK [Columbia] (1972) and BOBBY BARE SINGS LULLABYS, LEGENDS AND LIES (THE SONGS OF SHEL SILVERSTEIN) [RCA Victor] (1973). Albums of original motion picture scores include Ned Kelly [United Artists] (1970), Who Is Harry Kellerman And Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? [Columbia] (1971), in which Silverstein even played a role, Thieves (1977) and Postcards from the Edge (1996). Other recordings include Drain My Brain [Cadet] (), Dirty Feet [Hollis Music] (196, Shel Silverstein (Songs And Stories) [Casablanca] (197 and The Great Conch Train Robbery [] (1980).
Jul 9 07 6:32 PM
Jul 10 07 7:23 AM
Posts: 1562
Jul 10 07 10:30 AM
Posts: 1122
Jul 10 07 11:59 AM
princesspeach wrote: "The Giving Tree" is one of my FAVORITE kids' books of all time. It still makes me cry.
Speaking of Mom's embarrassing their children, When Little CR was in second grade, the teacher asked for parent volunteers to read to the class. Guess what book I chose? I had to really struggle to keep it together. Another book that makes me cry is "The Velveteen Rabbit".
Jul 10 07 4:59 PM
Carriage Return wrote: princesspeach wrote: "The Giving Tree" is one of my FAVORITE kids' books of all time. It still makes me cry. Speaking of Mom's embarrassing their children, When Little CR was in second grade, the teacher asked for parent volunteers to read to the class. Guess what book I chose? I had to really struggle to keep it together. Another book that makes me cry is "The Velveteen Rabbit".
Me too.
Posts: 3555
Jul 10 07 5:07 PM
Jul 10 07 5:40 PM
coreyes wrote: When son was in pre-primary we used to take them in and read them-or another kid, a story to settle them down. One girl brought me this book to read to her about a dog who was so old but so loved but a bit fat and it had to be carried everywhere. In the end it dies.Ohhhh I had tears streaming down the face.
Remembered the name and found the link
so sad
Share This