The Chicago-born poet, author, and songwriter Shel Silverstein has influenced millions and yet he may not quite be a household name. The creator of the iconic children’s book The Giving Tree, Silverstein has also penned numerous country songs, some of which he gave to some of the biggest names in the genre. A true renaissance man, Silverstein’s influence goes far and wide.
Here below, we wanted to explore three such songs. A trio of tracks from the hand of the writer, born September 25, 1930 and who passed away on May 10, 1999, which have subsisted in the country genre and gone on to impress fans for generations. Indeed, these are three eternal country songs written by author Shel Silverstein.
[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Featured Johnny Cash]
“A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash from At San Quentin (1969)
An incredible, all-time country song, this offering is both humorous and hard-nosed. It tells the story about a son whose father named him Sue, which is traditionally a girl’s name. As a result, the son grew up tough, beating back all his bullies throughout his life. Then one day when he confronts his father about it, his dad explains the reasoning behind it. The world is hard, so why not prepare the boy for it with an unlikely name? Well, country icon Johnny Cash sang this during his performance at San Quentin prison and it was a huge hit. It was the artist’s only Top-10 track on the Billboard Hot 100. And on it, Cash sings Silverstein’s lyrics,
Well, my daddy left home when I was three
Didn’t leave very much to my mom and me
Except this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
Now I don’t blame him ’cause he run and hid
But the meanest thing that my daddy ever did
Was before he left, he went and named me Sue
“One’s on the Way” by Loretta Lynn from One’s on the Way (1972)
A song about a do-it-all woman: a mother, homemaker, cook and cleaner. And oh yeah, there’s even one more child on the way to add to her responsibilities. Another humorous song that cuts deeper than it might seem on the face of it, this track appeared on the 1972 album of the same name by country icon Loretta Lynn. On the track, the sardonic Lynn sings about movie stars and their glamorous lives, which are very different from that of the protagonist on the track,
I’m glad that Raquel Welch just signed a million dollar pact
And Debbie’s out in Vegas workin’ up a brand new act
While the TV’s showin’ newlyweds, a real fun game to play
But here in Topeka, the screen door’s a bangin’
The coffee’s boilin’ over and the wash needs a hangin’
One wants a cookie and one wants a changin’
And one’s on the way
“The Taker” by Waylon Jennings from The Taker/Tulsa (1971)
This song from Waylon Jennings’ 1971 LP was co-written by Silverstein and another country legend, Kris Kristofferson. Singing over jangly acoustic guitars, Jennings uses his deep voice to tell the story of a person and also to provide a little lyrical word play. The song is about a man who is many things to a woman—a helper, as in he’ll help her do something. A lover, as in he’ll love her. And a taker, as in he’ll take her to places she hasn’t seen. What else would you expect from two expert writers and an all-time performer. On the track, Jennings sings,
He’s a giver, he’ll give her the kind
Of attention that she’s never known
He’s a helper, he’ll help her to open
The doors that she can’t on her own.
He’s a lover and he’ll love her in ways
That she’s never been loved before
He’s a getter, he’ll get her by gettin’ her
Into the world she’s been hungerin’ for.
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Photo by Alice Ochs/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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