Coward Of The County

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

And 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

Now, 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 half way 'cross the floor

When Tommy turned around they said

"Hey look! Old Yeller's leaving"

But you could've heard a pin drop

When Tommy stopped and locked the door

Twenty years of crawling

Was bottled up inside him

He wasn't holding nothing back

He let 'em have it all

When Tommy left the barroom

Not a Gatlin boy was standing

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 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"

Everyone considered him the coward of the county