A Boy Named Sue Chords by Johnny Cash
Tempo:
101 bpm
Chords used:
Bb
F
Eb
Bbm
Fm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Bb]
Well, my daddy left home when I was three [Eb] and he didn't leave much to ma and me, [F] just
this old guitar and an empty bottle [Bb] of booze.
Now, I don't blame him because he run and hid, [Eb] but the meanest thing that he ever did
[F] was before he left, he went and named [Bb] me Sue.
Well, he must have thought that it was quite [Bbm] a joke and it got a [Eb] lot of laughs from a lot of folks.
[F] It seems I had to fight my whole [Bb] life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd [Eb] get red and some guy'd laugh and I'd [F] bust his head.
I'll tell you, life ain't easy for a boy [Bb] named Sue.
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up [Eb] mean.
My fists got hard and my wits got [F] keen, roamed from town to town to [Bb] hide my shame.
Well, I made me a vow to the moon and [Eb] stars, I'd search the Humpton Tonks and [Bb] bars [F] and
kill that man that gave me that [Bb] awful name.
Well, it was Gatlinburg in [Bbm] mid-July and I'd just hit [Eb] town and my [Ab] throat was [F] dry.
I thought I'd stop and have [Bb] myself a brew.
I had an old saloon on a [Eb] street of mud, there at the table dealing [F] stud sat the dirty manger
dog that named [Bb] me Sue.
Well, I knew that snake was my own [Bbm] sweet dad from a worn [Eb] out picture that my mother'd had
[Fm] and I knew that scar on his cheek and his [Bb] evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray [Fm] and old [Eb] and I looked at him and my blood ran cold [F] and I
said, my name is Sue.
[Bb] How do you do?
Now you're gonna die.
Yeah, that's what I told him.
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes and [Eb] he went down but to my [Bb] surprise, [F] he'd
come up with a knife and cut off [Bb] a piece of my ear.
Well, I busted a chair right [F] across his [Eb] teeth and we crashed through the wall and into the
[F] street kicking and a gouging in the mud and the [Bb] blood and the beer.
I tell you, I've fought tougher [Bbm] men but I really [Eb] can't remember when.
[F] He kicked like a mule and he bit like [Bbm] a crocodile.
[Bb]
I heard him laugh and then I [Fm] heard him cuss and [Bbm] he went for [Eb] his gun and I pulled mine [F] first.
He stood there looking at me and [Bb] I saw him smile and he said, son, this world is rough
and if a man's gonna make it, he's [Eb] gotta be tough and [Fm] I know I wouldn't be there to [Bb] help you along.
So I give you that name and I said [Eb] goodbye and I knew you'd have to get tough [Ab] or die
[F] and it's that name that helped to [Bb] make you strong.
Yeah.
He said, now you just fought one hell of a fight and I know you [Eb] hate me and you got the
[F] right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you [Bb] if you do.
But you ought to thank me before I [Ebm] die for the gravel in your guts and the spit in your
[F] eye because I'm the son of a bitch that [Bb] named you Sue.
Yeah, well what could I do?
What could I do?
[Eb] I got all choked [F] up and I threw down my gun, [Eb] called him a pawn, he called me his [Bb] son and
I come away with a different point of view.
And I think about him now and [G] then every [F] time I try and every time I [F] win.
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him Bill or George, any [Bb] damn thing but Sue.
I still hate this man.
[N]
Oh, thank you very much.
Well, my daddy left home when I was three [Eb] and he didn't leave much to ma and me, [F] just
this old guitar and an empty bottle [Bb] of booze.
Now, I don't blame him because he run and hid, [Eb] but the meanest thing that he ever did
[F] was before he left, he went and named [Bb] me Sue.
Well, he must have thought that it was quite [Bbm] a joke and it got a [Eb] lot of laughs from a lot of folks.
[F] It seems I had to fight my whole [Bb] life through.
Some gal would giggle and I'd [Eb] get red and some guy'd laugh and I'd [F] bust his head.
I'll tell you, life ain't easy for a boy [Bb] named Sue.
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up [Eb] mean.
My fists got hard and my wits got [F] keen, roamed from town to town to [Bb] hide my shame.
Well, I made me a vow to the moon and [Eb] stars, I'd search the Humpton Tonks and [Bb] bars [F] and
kill that man that gave me that [Bb] awful name.
Well, it was Gatlinburg in [Bbm] mid-July and I'd just hit [Eb] town and my [Ab] throat was [F] dry.
I thought I'd stop and have [Bb] myself a brew.
I had an old saloon on a [Eb] street of mud, there at the table dealing [F] stud sat the dirty manger
dog that named [Bb] me Sue.
Well, I knew that snake was my own [Bbm] sweet dad from a worn [Eb] out picture that my mother'd had
[Fm] and I knew that scar on his cheek and his [Bb] evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray [Fm] and old [Eb] and I looked at him and my blood ran cold [F] and I
said, my name is Sue.
[Bb] How do you do?
Now you're gonna die.
Yeah, that's what I told him.
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes and [Eb] he went down but to my [Bb] surprise, [F] he'd
come up with a knife and cut off [Bb] a piece of my ear.
Well, I busted a chair right [F] across his [Eb] teeth and we crashed through the wall and into the
[F] street kicking and a gouging in the mud and the [Bb] blood and the beer.
I tell you, I've fought tougher [Bbm] men but I really [Eb] can't remember when.
[F] He kicked like a mule and he bit like [Bbm] a crocodile.
[Bb]
I heard him laugh and then I [Fm] heard him cuss and [Bbm] he went for [Eb] his gun and I pulled mine [F] first.
He stood there looking at me and [Bb] I saw him smile and he said, son, this world is rough
and if a man's gonna make it, he's [Eb] gotta be tough and [Fm] I know I wouldn't be there to [Bb] help you along.
So I give you that name and I said [Eb] goodbye and I knew you'd have to get tough [Ab] or die
[F] and it's that name that helped to [Bb] make you strong.
Yeah.
He said, now you just fought one hell of a fight and I know you [Eb] hate me and you got the
[F] right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you [Bb] if you do.
But you ought to thank me before I [Ebm] die for the gravel in your guts and the spit in your
[F] eye because I'm the son of a bitch that [Bb] named you Sue.
Yeah, well what could I do?
What could I do?
[Eb] I got all choked [F] up and I threw down my gun, [Eb] called him a pawn, he called me his [Bb] son and
I come away with a different point of view.
And I think about him now and [G] then every [F] time I try and every time I [F] win.
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him Bill or George, any [Bb] damn thing but Sue.
I still hate this man.
[N]
Oh, thank you very much.
Key:
Bb
F
Eb
Bbm
Fm
Bb
F
Eb
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Well, my daddy left home when I was three [Eb] and he didn't leave much to ma and me, [F] just
this old guitar and an empty bottle [Bb] of booze. _
Now, I don't blame him because he run and hid, [Eb] but the meanest thing that he ever did
[F] was before he left, he went and named [Bb] me Sue. _ _
_ Well, he must have thought that it was quite [Bbm] a joke and it got a [Eb] lot of laughs from a lot of folks.
[F] It seems I had to fight my whole [Bb] life through.
_ Some gal would giggle and I'd [Eb] get red and some guy'd laugh and I'd [F] bust his head.
I'll tell you, life ain't easy for a boy [Bb] named Sue. _
_ _ _ _ Well, I grew up quick and I grew up [Eb] mean.
My fists got hard and my wits got [F] keen, roamed from town to town to [Bb] hide my shame.
Well, I made me a vow to the moon and [Eb] stars, I'd search the Humpton Tonks and [Bb] bars [F] and
kill that man that gave me that [Bb] awful name.
_ Well, it was Gatlinburg in [Bbm] mid-July and I'd just hit [Eb] town and my [Ab] throat was [F] dry.
I thought I'd stop and have [Bb] myself a brew.
_ I had an old saloon on a [Eb] street of mud, there at the table dealing [F] stud sat the dirty manger
dog that named [Bb] me Sue.
_ Well, I knew that snake was my own [Bbm] sweet dad from a worn [Eb] out picture that my mother'd had
[Fm] and I knew that scar on his cheek and his [Bb] evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray [Fm] and old [Eb] and I looked at him and my blood ran cold [F] and I
said, my name is Sue.
[Bb] How do you do?
Now you're gonna die.
_ _ Yeah, that's what I told him. _
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes and [Eb] he went down but to my [Bb] surprise, [F] he'd
come up with a knife and cut off [Bb] a piece of my ear. _
Well, I busted a chair right [F] across his [Eb] teeth and we crashed through the wall and into the
[F] street kicking and a gouging in the mud and the [Bb] blood and the beer. _
I tell you, I've fought tougher [Bbm] men but I really [Eb] can't remember when.
[F] He kicked like a mule and he bit like [Bbm] a crocodile.
_ _ [Bb]
I heard him laugh and then I [Fm] heard him cuss and [Bbm] he went for [Eb] his gun and I pulled mine [F] first.
He stood there looking at me and [Bb] I saw him smile and he said, son, _ this world is rough
and if a man's gonna make it, he's [Eb] gotta be tough and [Fm] I know I wouldn't be there to [Bb] help you along. _
So I give you that name and I said [Eb] goodbye and I knew you'd have to get tough [Ab] or die
[F] and it's that name that helped to [Bb] make you strong. _
Yeah.
He said, now you just fought one hell of a fight and I know you [Eb] hate me and you got the
[F] right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you [Bb] if you do.
_ But you ought to thank me before I [Ebm] die for the gravel in your guts and the spit in your
[F] eye because I'm the son of a bitch that [Bb] named you Sue.
_ Yeah, well what could I do?
What could I do?
[Eb] I got all choked [F] up and I threw down my gun, [Eb] called him a pawn, he called me his [Bb] son and
I come away with a different point of view. _
And I think about him now and [G] then every [F] time I try and every time I [F] win.
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him Bill or George, any [Bb] damn thing but Sue.
I still hate this man.
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Oh, thank you very much. _
Well, my daddy left home when I was three [Eb] and he didn't leave much to ma and me, [F] just
this old guitar and an empty bottle [Bb] of booze. _
Now, I don't blame him because he run and hid, [Eb] but the meanest thing that he ever did
[F] was before he left, he went and named [Bb] me Sue. _ _
_ Well, he must have thought that it was quite [Bbm] a joke and it got a [Eb] lot of laughs from a lot of folks.
[F] It seems I had to fight my whole [Bb] life through.
_ Some gal would giggle and I'd [Eb] get red and some guy'd laugh and I'd [F] bust his head.
I'll tell you, life ain't easy for a boy [Bb] named Sue. _
_ _ _ _ Well, I grew up quick and I grew up [Eb] mean.
My fists got hard and my wits got [F] keen, roamed from town to town to [Bb] hide my shame.
Well, I made me a vow to the moon and [Eb] stars, I'd search the Humpton Tonks and [Bb] bars [F] and
kill that man that gave me that [Bb] awful name.
_ Well, it was Gatlinburg in [Bbm] mid-July and I'd just hit [Eb] town and my [Ab] throat was [F] dry.
I thought I'd stop and have [Bb] myself a brew.
_ I had an old saloon on a [Eb] street of mud, there at the table dealing [F] stud sat the dirty manger
dog that named [Bb] me Sue.
_ Well, I knew that snake was my own [Bbm] sweet dad from a worn [Eb] out picture that my mother'd had
[Fm] and I knew that scar on his cheek and his [Bb] evil eye.
He was big and bent and gray [Fm] and old [Eb] and I looked at him and my blood ran cold [F] and I
said, my name is Sue.
[Bb] How do you do?
Now you're gonna die.
_ _ Yeah, that's what I told him. _
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes and [Eb] he went down but to my [Bb] surprise, [F] he'd
come up with a knife and cut off [Bb] a piece of my ear. _
Well, I busted a chair right [F] across his [Eb] teeth and we crashed through the wall and into the
[F] street kicking and a gouging in the mud and the [Bb] blood and the beer. _
I tell you, I've fought tougher [Bbm] men but I really [Eb] can't remember when.
[F] He kicked like a mule and he bit like [Bbm] a crocodile.
_ _ [Bb]
I heard him laugh and then I [Fm] heard him cuss and [Bbm] he went for [Eb] his gun and I pulled mine [F] first.
He stood there looking at me and [Bb] I saw him smile and he said, son, _ this world is rough
and if a man's gonna make it, he's [Eb] gotta be tough and [Fm] I know I wouldn't be there to [Bb] help you along. _
So I give you that name and I said [Eb] goodbye and I knew you'd have to get tough [Ab] or die
[F] and it's that name that helped to [Bb] make you strong. _
Yeah.
He said, now you just fought one hell of a fight and I know you [Eb] hate me and you got the
[F] right to kill me now and I wouldn't blame you [Bb] if you do.
_ But you ought to thank me before I [Ebm] die for the gravel in your guts and the spit in your
[F] eye because I'm the son of a bitch that [Bb] named you Sue.
_ Yeah, well what could I do?
What could I do?
[Eb] I got all choked [F] up and I threw down my gun, [Eb] called him a pawn, he called me his [Bb] son and
I come away with a different point of view. _
And I think about him now and [G] then every [F] time I try and every time I [F] win.
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him Bill or George, any [Bb] damn thing but Sue.
I still hate this man.
_ _ _ [N] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ Oh, thank you very much. _