'The Laughter Just About Tore the Roof Off': Johnny Cash's 'A Boy Named Sue'

‘200 Greatest 60s Rock Songs Vol. 2’ Book Excerpt

Johnny Cash, Owings Mills, MD, 1977Photo byWarren K. Leffler, US News & World Report collection, Library of Congress

“A Boy Named Sue” was Johnny Cash’s highest charting single, reaching №2 in 1969. The tune was written by humorist Shel Silverstein. “A Boy Named Sue” was recorded live at San Quentin Prison in February 1969 and appeared on Cash’s At San Quentin album.

Silverstein was inspired to write the song about a boy with a feminine name by his friend and fellow humorist Jean Shepherd, who had been teased about his name as a child. “I fist-fought my way through every grade in school,” Shepherd said.

Cash discovered the song during a party at his house in Hendersonville, TN. A “guitar pull” developed, in which a gathering of friends pass a guitar around and sing their newest songs.

“Bob Dylan sang ‘Lay Lady Lay,’” recalled Cash in Mental Floss. “Kris Kristofferson sang ‘Me and Bobby McGee.’ Joni Mitchell sang ‘Both Sides Now.’ Graham Nash sang ‘Marrakesh Express.’ And Shel Silverstein sang ‘A Boy Named Sue.’”

Cash enjoyed Silverstein’s song and asked him to write down the words. Cash’s wife June Carter thought it should be added to the San Quentin setlist. “We were leaving the next day to go to California and June said, ‘Take the words to “A Boy Named Sue” to California. You’ll want to record that at San Quentin.’ I said, ‘I don’t have time to learn that song before the show.’ And she said, ‘Well, take them anyway.’”

"A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash

When Cash performed “A Boy Named Sue” at the prison, the inmates responded enthusiastically. Cash believed the song could be a hit.

“The lyrics were so new to me that I had to sing them off a sheet of paper on a music stand, but they were exactly right for the moment,” said Cash in Silverstein’s book A Boy Named Shel. “They lightened the mood in what was otherwise a very heavy show. In fact, the laughter just about tore the roof off.”

Frank Mastropolo is the author of 200 Greatest 60s Rock Songs Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and 200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs.