Coward Of The County

     A      D      E      E7
E|---0------2------0------0-----| 
B|---2------3------0------3-----| 
G|---2------2------1------1-----| 
D|---2------0------2------2-----| 
A|---0-------------2------2-----| 
E|-----------------0------0-----| 

Capo 3rd Fret

(In a moderate country half-time)

[Verse]
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.

[Chorus]
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)

[Verse]
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:

[Chorus]
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)

[Verse]
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'."
(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,

[Chorus]
A                            D                 A
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.
D                A             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             N.C.      A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.




        COWARD OF THE COUNTY

[Verse]
|C            |               |F            |C       |
Ev'ry one con-sidered him the coward of the county
   |               |              |                |G     |
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
    |C              |         |F                    |C      |
His momma named him Tommy the folks just called him yellow
|               |                 |       G7    |C     |
Something always told me they were readin' Tommy wrong

|           |                      |F            |C       |
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison
|              |             |               |G      |
I looked after Tommy 'cos he was my brothers son
  |C               |              |F              |C       |
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy
|              |        |          G7      |C        |
Son my life is over but yours has just beg-un

[Chorus]
|C            | G7  C    |F               |C     |
Promise me son  not to do the things I've done
|F             |C             |G      |
walk away from trouble if you can
    |C                   |  G7 C     |F           |C
Now it won't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek
                   |F           |G
I hope your old enough to under-stand
|Dm7                |G7         |C    |
you don't have to fight to be a man

[Verse]
        |D          |             |G              |D
There's someone for every one and Tommys 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 workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'
|                  |       |              |A7      |D
They took turns at Becky   There was three of them

|          |               |G            |D        |
Tommy open up the door and saw his Becky cryin'
    |              |                 |                  |A     |
The torn dress the shattered look was more than he could stand
   |D                |                   |G              |D      |
He reached above the fire place and took down his daddys picture
       |                 |              |               A   |D
as the tears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-gain

[Chorus]
|D           |  A   D    |G              D      |
Promise me son not to do the things I've done
|G              |D            A     |
walk away from trouble if you can
   |D                  |    A  D       |G         D       |
Now it don't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek
  |D                 |G               |A    |
I hope your old en-ough to understand
    |                |A7            |D
Son you don't have to fight to be a  man

[Verse]
    |D               |                      |C              |D
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
     |D                 |              |G               |D      |
when Tommy turned around they said Hey look ol' Yellows leaving
    |                                                   A7
But you could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the
door
|D              |            |G            |D        |
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up in-side him
   |              |                   |           |A   |
he wasn't holdin' nothin' back he let 'em have it all
     |D                 |          |G                  |D    |
when Tommy left the Bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin'
   |                                           |A7
He said this one's for Becky as he watched the last one fall

And I heard him say.

[Chorus]
  |D              | A7  D    |G                  |D
I promised you Dad  not to do the things you done
  |G             |D                 |A7
I walk away from trouble when I can
    |D                         |  A7  D       |G              |D |
now please don't think I'm weak I did-n't turn the other cheek
    |                |G          |A       |A7                     |
and Poppa I sure hope you understand some-times you've gotta fight
            |D      |
when your a man
|           |               |G            |D
Everyone considered him the coward of the county