Coward Of The County

Ev＇ryone considered him the coward of the county
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
His mama named him Tommy  but 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
Well  I looked after Tommy ＇cause he was my brother＇s son
And 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
Now  it don＇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  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  took down his daddy＇s picture
As the 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
Now  it don＇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
Then Tommy turned around they said  Hey look ol＇ yellow＇s leavin＇ ＂
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked 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＇ve done
I＇ll walk away from trouble if I can
Now please don＇t think I＇m weak  I couldn＇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