Coward of the County

Evryone considered him the coward of the county
Hed never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
His mama named him tommy, the 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
I looked after tommy cause he was my brothers son
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 Ive done
Walk away from trouble if you can
It wont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope youre old enough to understand:
Son, you dont have to fight to be a man

Theres someone for evryone and tommys love was becky
In her arms he didnt 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 and took down his daddys picture
As his tears fell on his daddys face, he heard these words again:
Promise me, son, not to do the things Ive done
Walk away from trouble if you can
It wont mean youre weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope youre old enough to understand:
Son, you dont 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
When tommy turned around they said, hey look! ol yellows leavin
But you coulda heard a pin drop when tommy stopped and blocked the door
Twenty years of crawlin was bottled up inside him
He wasnt holdin nothin back; he let em have it all
When tommy left the barroom not a gatlin boy was standin
He said, this ones for becky, as he watched the last one fall
And I heard him say,

I promised you, dad, not to do the things you done
I walk away from trouble when I can
Now please dont think Im weak, I didnt turn the other cheek,
And papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when youre a man

Evryone considered him the coward of the county