Coward Of The County - (Tribute to Kenny Rogers)

Coward Of The County - (Tribute to Kenny Rogers) - Various Artists

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

An' 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

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 bar room

One of them got up and met him half way cross the floor

When Tommy turned around they said

"Hey look Old Yellow's leaving"

But you could've heard a pin drop

When Tommy stopped and locked the door

Twenty years of crawling

Were bottled up inside him

He wasn't holding nothing back

He let 'em have it all

When Tommy left the bar room

Not a Gatlin boy was standing

He said "This one's for Becky

As he watched the last one fall

An 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 should hope you understand

Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man"

Everyone considered him the coward of the county