3 Shel Silverstein Songs That Became Surprising Country Hits

Shel Silverstein is known around the world as a poet and author. Silverstein is the writer behind books like The Giving Tree, Where The Sidewalk Ends, and more. But Silverstein is also a talented songwriter, penning songs for himself and others, including these three songs, which were all hits at country radio.

“A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash

In 1969, Johnny Cash released “A Boy Named Sue”. A quirky song, Cash includes “A Boy Named Sue” on his live At San Quentin album.

“A Boy Named Sue” is  song of revenge on an absentee father who named his son Sue, although the son later becomes grateful for his unique name,  “A Boy Named Sue” says, “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 me a vow to the moon and stars / That I’d search the honky-tonks and bar / And kill that man who gave me that awful name.”

Cash heard “A Boy Named Sue” when they were both at someone’s house, playing music. Cash’s wife, June Carter Cash, suggested he record “A Boy Named Sue”. It became one of Cash’s many No. 1 singles.

“One’s On The Way” by Loretta Lynn

“One’s On The Way” is the title track of a record Loretta Lynn released in 1972. Out as a single in 1971, “One’s On The Way” is the only single from the record. It’s a contemplative song about a woman who is stuck at home while life keeps going on,”

“One’s On The Way” says, “But here in Topeka the rain is a-falling / The faucet is a dripping / And the kids are a-bawling / One of them is toddling / And one is a-crawling / And one’s on the way.”

“One’s On The Way” earned Lynn a CMA Awards nomination for Single of the Year.

“Marie Laveau” by Bobby Bare

In 1974, 18 years after he released his first single, Bobby Bare scored his first No. 1 hit with “Marie Laveau”. Silverstein wrote “Marie Laveau” with Baxter Taylor. 

Before Bare had a big hit with “Marie Laveau”, Doctor Hook & the Medicine Show released the song. It appears on their 1972  Doctor Hook album. But it’s Bare’s version that remains the most popular.

“Mario Laveau” begins with, “The most famous of the voodoo queens that ever existed / Is Marie Laveau, down in Louisiana / There’s a lot of weird ungodly tales about Marie / She’s supposed to have a lot of magic potions, spells, and curses. Down in Louisiana, where the black trees grow / Lives a voodoo lady named Marie Laveau / Got a black cat’s tooth and a Mojo bone / And anyone who wouldn’t leave her alone.”

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