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