A Boy Named Sue
Shel Silverstein's comic ballad, first sung by Cash at San Quentin from a lyric sheet, and his only top-ten pop single.
Johnny Cash, from At San Quentin (1969)
- Written by
- Shel Silverstein
- Released
- 2 July 1969
- Length
- 3:53
- Album
- At San Quentin
Shel Silverstein wrote it, and Cash performed it for the first time at San Quentin on 24 February 1969, reading from a lyric sheet. The single came out on 2 July 1969 with San Quentin on the B-side. It reached number two on the Hot 100 for three weeks, behind the Rolling Stones' Honky Tonk Women, and remains his only top-ten pop single. It also topped the country and Easy Listening charts, and was certified Gold in August 1969. At the 1970 Grammys Cash won Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, and Silverstein won Best Country Song.
Silverstein recorded his own version for the 1969 RCA album Boy Named Sue (and His Other Country Songs), and wrote a sequel, The Father of a Boy Named Sue, in 1978.
On stage
- 1969-02-24, San Quentin State Prison, California Cash's first performance of the song, read from a lyric sheet, released on At San Quentin.
Covers and versions
- Joe Dassin (1970) A French adaptation titled Un Garcon Nomme Suzy.
- Martin Mull A parody, A Girl Named Johnny Cash.
More songs by Johnny Cash
Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, Cry! Cry! Cry!, Ring of Fire, The Ballad of Ira Hayes, Hurt, Man in Black
Sources
- A Boy Named Sue, Wikipedia
- At San Quentin, Wikipedia