Coward Of The County

Capo 3rd Fret

(In a moderate country half-time)

A                           D             A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
                                                     E
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
    A                         D                     A
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow,
                                       E             A
but something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.


A                                  D             A
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
                                                E
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.
  A                               D               A
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
                           E             A
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.


A                       D                  A
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
D              A              E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A                                D              A
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
                  D              E
I hope you're old enough to understand:
     E7                              A
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

(Slide capo to 4th fret)



A                                D                A
There's someone for ev'ryone and Tommy's love was Becky.
                                             E
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
    A                            D                A
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.
                           E (Spoken)  A
They took turns at Becky.... There was three of them!


A                            D             A
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.
                                                          E
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
   A                                    D                A
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
                                          E                 A
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:


A                       D                  A
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
D              A              E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A                                D              A
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
                  D              E
I hope you're old enough to understand:
     E7                              A
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

(Slide capo to 5th fret)


A                                           D               A
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
                                                  E
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.
     A                                   D                  A
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."
(Whole line spoken)                  E                 A
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door.


A                            D             A
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
                                                   E
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
     A                            D              A
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
                                       E                    A
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.
(Spoken)
And I heard him say,


A                            D                 A
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.
                                E
I walk away from trouble when I can.
    A                                     D              A
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
                 D             E
and Papa, I sure hope you understand:
    E7                                  A
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."


A                           D             (No chords)    A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.