Coward Of The County(Chords)

	        F                     
Everyone considered him the coward of the county 
   C                                               G     G 
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong. 
    C                         F                     C        
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow 
    C                                 G             C       
But someting always told me they were reading Tommy wrong 
C                                  F             C       
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison 
C                                               G   G 
I looked after Tommy cause he was my brother's son 
  C                               F               C       
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy 
C                        G             C       
'Son my life is over but yours is just begun' 
C                        F                  C 
'Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done 


C                             G     
Walk away from trouble if you can 
C                                F                    
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek 
  C                              G      
I hope you're old enough to understand 
    G                               C      
Son you don't have to fight to be a man' 
        D                        G                D 
There's someone for everyone and Tommy's 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 working, the Gatlin boys came callin' 
                                    A        D 
They took turns at Becky, there was three of them 
D                            G             D 
Tommy opened 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 fireplace and took down his daddy's picture 
                                          A                 D 
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again 
                         G                  D 
'Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done 
                              A 
Walk away from trouble if you can 
D                                G              D 
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek 
                                  A 
I hope you're old enough to understand 
                                    D 
Son you don't have to fight to be a man' 
                                            G               D 
The Gatlin Boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room 
                                                  A 
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor 
     D                                    G                 D 
When Tommy turned areound they said,  Hey look ol' yellow's leavin' 
                                           A                       D 
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door 
                             G            D 
Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him 
                                                  A 
He wasn't holding nothin' back he let 'em have it all 
     D                             G              D 
When Tommy left the bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin' 
                                     A                    D 
He said this one's for Becky,' as he watched the last one fall (And I heard him say) 
                          G                 D 
I promised you Dad not to do the things you done 
                                A 
I walk away from trouble when I can 
    D                                    G              D 
Now please don't think I'm weak I didn't turn the other cheek 
                                A 
And Poppa, I sure hope you understand 
                                        D 
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man 
                            G             D 
Everyone considered him the coward of the county
	        

Written by Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler