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