Kenny Rogers - Coward of the County lyrics

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
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 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
N'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
Took down his daddy's picture
As a tear 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
Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look
Old yella's leavin'"
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 bar room
Not a Gatlin boy was standing he said
"This one's for Becky" as he
Watched the last one fall n' 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