# In "A Boy Named Sue," what's Johnny Cash saying during the bleeped out part? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 2, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157 "2017-03-02T01:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/1 "2017-03-02T01:11:47Z")
[Link to Today’s (March 1) Question](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1847/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part) This is not the first time I’ve heard the claim that the bleeped out part is “son of a bitch.” But I have great difficulty believing it. That phrase is four syllables long, and the meter of the song simply doesn’t allow that many syllables. And the bleep isn’t long enough for such a phrase. To me, it would be difficult to squeeze even two syllables into that space, let alone four. So here’s my question: Is there any place I can hear the UNbleeped version of that song? All due respect to Uncle Cecil, nothing else would convince me. ---
**Author:** ![pompeybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8c91f0/32.png) [@pompeybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pompeybear)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/2 "2017-03-02T01:26:42Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > [Link to Today’s (March 1) Question](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1847/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part) > > This is not the first time I’ve heard the claim that the bleeped out part is “son of a bitch.” But I have great difficulty believing it. That phrase is four syllables long, and the meter of the song simply doesn’t allow that many syllables. And the bleep isn’t long enough for such a phrase. To me, it would be difficult to squeeze even two syllables into that space, let alone four. > > So here’s my question: Is there any place I can hear the UNbleeped version of that song? All due respect to Uncle Cecil, nothing else would convince me. I honestly wasn’t aware there was a bleeped version. I’ve always heard the San Quentin version where he clearly says “son of a bitch”. You can find it on youtube easily. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/3 "2017-03-02T01:29:29Z")
> [@pompeybear](#): > > I honestly wasn’t aware there was a bleeped version. I’ve always heard the San Quentin version where he clearly says “son of a bitch”. You can find it on youtube easily. Wikipedia makes it clear that the later versions of the album have the restored sound track where he says SOB. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/4 "2017-03-02T01:37:38Z")
> [@pompeybear](#): > > I honestly wasn’t aware there was a bleeped version. I’ve always heard the San Quentin version where he clearly says “son of a bitch”. You can find it on youtube easily. I can’t believe you’re right! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pex\_ASYQPM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pex_ASYQPM) But it does sound a lot longer than the bleep. Gotta compare a few versions. It runs too fast for my stopwatch. “Fighting ignorance since 1973” – and it IS working, however long it will take! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/5 "2017-03-02T02:19:55Z")
On a side note, the Staff Report is incorrect in attributing “A Boy Named Sue” to the _At Folsom Prison_ album. It did not appear on that album, but rather on _At San Quentin,_ (the better of the two albums, in my opinion, though I love both). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/6 "2017-03-02T03:26:11Z")
There’s plenty of time for it. [Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5XGTpophI) It’s not like he’s singing “Son. of. a. Bitch”. It’s all one word, like “sunnuvabitch.” It barely had two syllables when my Dad used it. . . ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/7 "2017-03-02T05:34:10Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > There’s plenty of time for it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5XGTpophI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5XGTpophI) > > It’s not like he’s singing “Son. of. a. Bitch”. It’s all one word, like “sunnuvabitch.” It barely had two syllables when my Dad used it. . . I believe you mean “sumbitch,” then. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/8 "2017-03-02T06:15:29Z")
Right, the two-syllable version is very common. ---
**Author:** ![Pascal666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/eada6e/32.png) [@Pascal666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pascal666)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/9 "2017-03-02T08:56:40Z")
Looks like Shel was actually born in 1930: [Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) - Find a Grave Memorial](https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9500) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/10 "2017-03-02T15:36:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I believe you mean “sumbitch,” then. 😛 Yeah, that was more my Georgia relatives though, and probably a better guess for Johnny Cash. Dad is from New Hampshire. His way is more “sunvabitch” with the “va” half-swallowed like you do with “heav’n” when it doesn’t really fit the scheme of a hymn. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/11 "2017-03-02T17:42:20Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > This is not the first time I’ve heard the claim that the bleeped out part is “son of a bitch.” But I have great difficulty believing it. That phrase is four syllables long, and the meter of the song simply doesn’t allow that many syllables. And the bleep isn’t long enough for such a phrase. To me, it would be difficult to squeeze even two syllables into that space, let alone four. The standard technique for squeezing in syllables is all about using shorter notes. For example, if the meter has quarter notes, you drop to eighth notes for a couple of beats. Think of the alphabet song, and “lmnop”, where we squeeze four letters in a two letter slot. AB CD EF G\_ HI JK LMNO P\_ ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/12 "2017-03-02T18:52:38Z")
> [@neonmadman](#): > > on a side note, the staff report is incorrect in attributing “a boy named sue” to the _at folsom prison_ album. It did not appear on that album, but rather on _at san quentin,_ (the better of the two albums, in my opinion, though i love both). “Don’t bend over here!” ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/13 "2017-03-09T17:19:24Z")
Learning that this was another gem from Uncle Shelby made me say “whoa” immediately followed by “of course!” ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/14 "2017-03-09T21:59:16Z")
> [@NeonMadman](#): > > On a side note, the Staff Report is incorrect in attributing “A Boy Named Sue” to the _At Folsom Prison_ album. It did not appear on that album, but rather on _At San Quentin,_ (the better of the two albums, in my opinion, though I love both). How do critics generally rank the prisons themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/15 "2017-03-11T00:33:33Z")
You’re assuming that the bleep is the same length as the bit of music that it replaces. I don’t think that’s the case. Try tapping along with the beat as the bleep approaches, continue tapping through the bleep, and you’ll find that when the music resumes you’re out of synch. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2017, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/16 "2017-03-11T01:44:18Z")
How about comparing both versions side by side? [Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue [Original "Bleeped" 45 RPM single] - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc9PSi8aMH4) (with bleep) [A Boy Named Sue: Johnny Cash - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gbtm-93oqE) (uncensored) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-boy-named-sue-whats-johnny-cash-saying-during-the-bleeped-out-part/781157/17 "2017-03-14T21:04:47Z")
Well, now that that is settled… Can anyone say when the song was set? Is the narrator some guy in the old West, or is this 1960?