Since I don't even want to think about today's stock market drop, here's a more cheerful subject

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FWIW’s New Mexico correspondent and resident expert on classical music happened to write to discuss several classic songs, two, “A Boy Named Sue” and “Put Another Log on the Fire” written by children’s author Shel Silverstein and one, “Thank God and Greyhound she’s gone” by the unknown (to me) Earl Nix and larry Kingston. Silverstein’s “A Boy Named Sue” was a hit for Johnny Cash, and our correspondent adds this fascinating bit of history concerning it:

Do you know the story behind "A Boy Named Sue?" Jean Shepherd (the radio host I listened to every night as a kid), said on one of his programs that his old man had told him when was grown up he had insisted the spelling of his son's name should be the feminine version, because he figured the kid would be abused for it (he was) and it would toughen him up (Shep said it did). He mentioned this once to Silverstein and you can guess the rest.

As for the latter two songs, here they are

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

I FORGOT THAT SILVERSTEIN WROTE THIS ONE, TOO: