A Boy Named Sue Chords by Johnny Cash
- Key: Bb
- BPM: 200
- Capo: no capo
TEMPO FORTE
A BOY NAMED SUE ACORDES
[Start] [Verse] Bb ■ Well my daddy left home when I was three Eb And he didn't leave much to ma and me F Bb Just this old guitar and a empty bottle of booze Bb Now I don't blame him 'cause he run and hid Eb But the meanest thing that he ever did F Bb Was before he left he went and named me Sue Bb Well he must've thought that it was quite a joke Eb And it got a lot of laughs from a lots of folks F7 Bb Seems I had to fight my whole life through Bb Some gal would giggle and I'd get red Eb And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head F Bb I'll tell ya life ain't easy for a boy named Sue Bb Well I grew up quick and I grew up mean Eb My fist got hard and my wits got keen F Bb Roamed from town to town to hide my shame Bb But I made me a vow to the moon and stars Eb I'd search the honkytonks and bars F F7 Bb And kill that man that give me that awful name Bb Well it was Gatlinburg in midJuly Eb And I just hit town and my throat was dry F Bb I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew Bb At an old saloon on a street of mud Eb7 Eb There at a table dealin' stud F Bb Sat the dirty mangy dog that named me Sue Bb Well I knew that snake was my own sweet dad Eb7 From a wornout picture that my mother'd had F Bb And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye Bb He was big and bent and gray and old Eb And I looked at him and my blood ran cold F Bb And I said My name is Sue How do you do Bb Now you gonna die Bb Yeah that's what I told him Bb Well I hit him hard right between the eyes Eb And he went down but to my surprise F F7 Bb Come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear Bb But I busted a chair right across his teeth Eb And we crashed through the wall and into the street F Bb Kickin' and agougin' in the mud and the blood and the beer Bb I tell ya I've fought tougher men Bb But I really can't remember when F7 Bb He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile Bb I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss Eb And he went for his gun and I pulled mine first F Bb He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile Bb And he said Son Bb This world is rough Bb7 And if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough F Bb And I know I wouldn't be there to help you along Bb So I give you that name and I said goodbye Eb I knew you'd have to get tough or die F Bb And it's that name that helped to make you strong Bb Yeah he said Now you just fought one hell of a fight Eb And I know you hate me and you got the right F Bb To kill me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do Eb Bb But you oughtta thank me before I die Eb For the gravel in your guts and the spit in the eye F Bb 'cause I'm the that named you Sue Bb7 Bb Eb Yeah what could I do What could I do F I got all choked up and I threw down my gun F7 Bb Called him my pa and he called me his son F Bb And I come away with a different point of view Bb And I think about him now and then Eb F Every time I try and every time I win ■ Bb And if I ever have a son I think I'm gonna name him Bb Bill or George Anything but Sue I still hate that name Bb All right thank you very much Bb Just before I ask the Statler Brothers to come back out we'd like to ask the Carter Family and Carl to help us out on a fine scripture [Chorus] Bb Look we got a lot of requests to do 'Peace in the Valley'