|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
|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 | |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
| |G7 |C |
you don't have to fight to be a man
|C | |F |C
There's someone for every one and Tommys love was Becky
| | | |G |
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man
|C | |F |C |
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'
| | |G | |C
They took turns at Becky There was three of them
| | |F |C |
Tommy open up the door and saw his Becky cryin'
| | | |G |
The torn dress the shattered look was more than he could stand
|C | |F |C |
He reached above the fire place and took down his daddys picture
| | |G |C
as the tears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-gain
| | |F |C |
Promise me son not to do the things I've done
|F |C |G |
walk away from trouble if you can
|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
| |G7 |C |
you don't have to fight to be a man
|D | |G |D
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room
| | | |A7 |
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 (x02020@1) D (xx0232@1)
But you could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door
|D | |G |D |
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up in-side him
| | | |A7 |
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 DHe (xx0232@1)said this one's for Becky as he watched the last one fall
And I heard him say.
|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 |G |D |
now please don't think I'm weak I did-n't turn the other cheek
| |G |A |A7 |
and Popa I sure hope you understand some-times you've gotta fight
|D |
when your a man
| | |G |D
Every one considered him the coward of the county
