Coward Of The County
Everyone considered him
- Everyone considered him
- The coward of the county
- He'd never stood one single time
- To prove the county wrong
- His mama named him Tommy,
- But folks just called him Yellow
- 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 has 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 everyone
- And Tommy's love was Becky
- In her arms,
- He didn't have to prove he was a man
- One day while he was working,
- The Gatlin boys came calling
- They took turns at Becky an'
- There was three of them
- Tommy opened up the door
- And saw his Becky crying
- 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! Old Yellow's leaving
- But you could've heard a pin drop
- When Tommy stopped and locked the door
- Twenty years of crawling were bottled up inside him
- He wasn't holding nothing back,
- He let 'em have it all
- When Tommy left the bar room,
- Not a Gatlin boy was standing
- He said, This one's for Becky,
- As he watched the last one fall
- An I heard him say
- I promised you, Dad,
- Not to do the things you've 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 should hope you understand
- Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
- Everyone considered him the coward of the county
Comments 1
This is my favorite song. You have a good taste