Boy Named Sue (G Major)
Artist:
Johnny Cash
Genre:
Country
Roman Numerals:
I, IV, V
Instrument:
Guitar - Standard Tuning [E,A,D,G,B,E]
Entered by:
ICDb
G
(G,B,D)
G
B
D
G
B
G
C
(C,E,G)
-
C
E
G
C
E
D
(D,F♯,A)
-
-
D
A
D
F♯
Verse 1
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
My daddy left home when I was three
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And he didn't leave much to Ma and me
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
of booze.
Verse 2
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Now, I don't blame him cause he run and hid
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
But the meanest thing that he ever did
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Was before he left, he went and named
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
me 'Sue.'
Verse 3
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Well, he must o' thought that is was quite a joke
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
It seems I had to fight my whole life
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
through.
Verse 4
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
I tell ya, life ain't easy for a boy named
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
'Sue.'
Verse 5
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Well, I grew up quick and I grew up mean,
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
My fist got hard and my wits got keen,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
I'd roam from town to town to hide my
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
shame.
Verse 6
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
But I made me a vow to the moon and stars
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And kill that man that give me that awful
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
name.
Verse 7
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Well, it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And I just hit town and my throat was dry,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
I thought I'd stop and have myself a
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
brew.
Verse 8
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
At an old saloon on a street of mud,
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
There at a table, dealing stud,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Sat the dirty, mangy dog that named me
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
'Sue.'
Verse 9
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Well, I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
eye.
Verse 10
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
He was big and bent and gray and old,
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And I said: "My name is 'Sue!' how do you do! Now you gonna
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
die!"
Verse 11
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Well, I hit him hard right between the eyes
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And he went down but, to my surprise,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
ear.
Verse 12
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
beer.
Verse 13
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
I tell ya, I've fought tougher men
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
But I really can't remember when,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a croco-
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
dile.
Verse 14
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss,
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
smile.
Verse 15
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
And he said: "Son, this world is rough
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And if a man's gonna make it, he's gotta be tough
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And I know I wouldn't be there to help ya
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
along.
Verse 16
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
So I give ya that name and I said good-bye
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And it's that name that helped to make you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
strong."
Verse 17
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
He said: 'Now you just fought one hell of a fight
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And I know you hate me, and you got the right
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
To kill me now, and I wouldn't blame you if you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
do.
Verse 18
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
But ya ought to thank me, before I die,
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
'Sue'.
Verse 19
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
And I called him my pa, and he called me his son,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And I come away with a different point of
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
view.
Verse 20
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
And I think about him, now and then,
[
C
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fourth
]
Every time I try and every time I win,
[
D
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Fifth
]
And if I ever have a son, I think I'm gonna name him
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
Bill or George! Any damn thing but sue!
Spoken
[
G
Major Chord (U,M3,P5)
on the Perfect Unison
]
I still hate that name!
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