Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” is among the best songs of all time. It’s got everything: revenge, redemption, father-son bonding. Penned by renowned author and poet Shel Silverstein, Cash recorded the song during his historic San Quentin concert. Seeing how much the prisoners loved it, Cash decided to release “A Boy Named Sue” as a single. On Aug. 23, 1969, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, solidifying its place in Johnny Cash lore.
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The Story Behind Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue”
Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue” is about just that. Our esteemed narrator has nursed a lifelong grudge against his father, who walked out when Sue was just 3, leaving him with nothing but a guitar and a lifetime of ridicule. (Well, he must’ve thought that it was quite a joke / And I got a lot of laughs from a lots of folk. Seems I had to fight my whole life through.)
In a Gatlinburg, Tennessee tavern, we see Sue come across the “dirty, mangy dog” who bestowed upon him his greatest shame. He introduces himself (My name is Sue! How do you do?) and declares his murderous intent. Now you gonna die!
Turns out, however, that dear old Dad isn’t going down that easily. The two tussle. Sue loses a piece of his ear before his old man admits, I’m the son of a b—- that named you Sue. The name was an exercise in tough love. Sue’s father knew he wouldn’t be there to guide his son, so he stuck him with this traditionally female name, knowing it would force him “to get tough or die.”
The men throw down their weapons and embrace. Sue walks away with a newfound respect for his dad. The song ends with him vowing to name his own son “Bill or George, any damn thing but Sue!” because perspective only goes so far.
[RELATED: The Lighthearted Johnny Cash: 3 of His Unexpected Novelty Songs (1969-1998)]
It Became His Biggest Hit
“A Boy Named Sue” was a surprise hit with the prisoners, leading the Man in Black to include it on his Johnny Cash At San Quentin album. The live version of the song gave Cash his biggest crossover hit. It spent three weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Cash and Silverstein a Grammy each.
Personally, as someone who grew up on Johnny Cash thanks to my grandfather, I can imagine how the men at San Quentin felt hearing “A Boy Named Sue” for the first time. It’s a raucous respite from the heaviness of societal strictures. And the fact that no one knew Cash planned to perform it bolsters its legacy. He always did things his way, and we were all better for it.
Featured image by Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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