Coward Of The County

C                F
Everyone considered him the coward 
of the county
 C                              G 
He never stood one single time to 
   G
prove the county wrong
  C             F             C
His mama named him Tommy, the folks 
just called him yellow
  C                     G        
But someting always told me they 
C
were reading Tommy wrong
C                     F        C
He was only ten years old when his 
daddy died in prison
C                             G 
I looked after Tommy cause he was my
G
 brother's son
  C                        F      
I still recall the final words my 
   C
brother said to Tommy
C                 G        C
"Son my life is over but yours is 
just begun"
C              F             C
"Promise me, son, not to do the 
things I've done
C                 G
Walk away from trouble if you can
C                     F
It won't mean you're weak if you 
turn the other cheek
  C                   G
I hope you're old enough to 
understand
  G                     C
Son you don't have to fight to be a 
man"
    D               G          D
There's someone for everyone and 
Tommy's love was Becky
                             A
In her arms he didn't have to prove 
he was a man
  D                 G           D
One day while he was working, the 
Gatlin boys came callin'
                      A      D
They took turns at Becky, there was 
three of them
D               G         D
Tommy opened up the door and saw his
 Becky cryin'
The torn dress, the shattered look 
 A
was more than he could stand
 D                       G        
He reached above the fireplace and
   D
 took down his daddy's picture
                            A   
As his tears fell on his daddy's 
        D
face, he heard these words again
              G              D
"Promise me, son, not to do the 
things I've done
                  A
Walk away from trouble if you can
D                     G         
It won't mean you're weak if you 
D
turn the other cheek
                     A
I hope you're old enough to 
understand
                      D
Son you don't have to fight to be a 
man"
                           G       
The Gatlin Boys just laughed at him
   D
 when he walked into the bar room
                             A
One of them got up and met him 
halfway 'cross the floor
  D                    G          
When Tommy turned areound they 
  D
said,  Hey look ol' yellow's leavin'
                          A        
But you coulda heard a pin drop 
     D
when Tommy stopped and blocked the 
door
                  G       D
Twenty years of crawling was bottled
 up inside him
                               A
He wasn't holding nothin' back he 
let 'em have it all
  D                  G         D
When Tommy left the bar room not a 
Gatlin boy was standin'
                        A          
He said this one's for Becky," as 
   D
he watched the last one fall
(And I heard him say)
                G           D
I promised you Dad not to do the 
things you done
                    A
I walk away from trouble when I can
  D                        G      
Now please don't think I'm weak I 
   D
didn't turn the other cheek
                   A
And Poppa, I sure hope you 
understand
                        D
Sometimes you gotta fight when 
you're a man
                G         D
Everyone considered him the coward 
of the county