A D E E7
E|---0------2------0------0-----|
B|---2------3------0------3-----|
G|---2------2------1------1-----|
D|---2------0------2------2-----|
A|---0-------------2------2-----|
E|-----------------0------0-----|
Capo 3rd Fret
(In a moderate country half-time)
[Verse]
A D A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
E
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
A D A
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow,
E A
but something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
A D A
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
E
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.
A D A
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
E A
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.
[Chorus]
A E A
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
D A E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A D A
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
D E
I hope you're old enough to understand:
E7 A
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
[Slide capo to 4th fret]
[Verse]
A D A
There's someone for ev'ryone and Tommy's love was Becky.
E
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
A D A
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.
E [Spoken] A
They took turns at Becky.... There was three of them!
A D A
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.
E
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
A D A
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
E A
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:
[Chorus]
A E A
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
D A E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A D A
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
D E
I hope you're old enough to understand:
E7 A
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
[Slide capo to 5th fret]
[Verse]
A D A
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
E
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.
A D A
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."
[Whole line spoken] E A
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door.
A D A
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
E
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
A D A
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
E A
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.
[Spoken]
And I heard him say,
[Chorus]
A D A
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.
E
I walk away from trouble when I can.
A D A
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
D E
and Papa, I sure hope you understand:
E7 A
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."
A D [No chords] A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
COWARD OF THE COUNTY
[Verse]
|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
[Chorus]
|C | G7 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 | G7 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
|Dm7 |G7 |C |
you don't have to fight to be a man
[Verse]
|D | |G |D
There's someone for every one and Tommys 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 workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'
| | | |A7 |D
They took turns at Becky There was three of them
| | |G |D |
Tommy open 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 fire place and took down his daddys picture
| | | A |D
as the tears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-gain
[Chorus]
| | A D |G |
Promise me son not to do the things I've done
| |D |
walk away from trouble if you can
| | A D |G |
Now it don't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek
|D |G |A |
I hope your old en-ough to understand
| | A7 |D
Son you don't have to fight to be a man
[Verse]
|D | |C |D
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
|D | |G |D |
when Tommy turned around they said Hey look ol' Yellows leaving
| A7
But you could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the
door
|D | |G |D |
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up in-side him
| | | |A |
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
He said this one's for Becky as he watched the last one fall
And I heard him say.
[Chorus]
|D | A7 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 D |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
