Coward Of The County

Ev'ryone 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 reading 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'ryone and tommy's love was becky.

In her arms he didn’t have to prove he was a man.

One day while he was workin' the gatlin boys came callin’.

They took turns at becky.... 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 barroom.

One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.

Tommy turned around they said

"hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."

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 barroom 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 papa

I sure hope you understand:

Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man."

Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.