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

Now he was only 10 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

He said, "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

There were 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 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

As 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, old Yellow's leaving"

But you could hear 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

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

That sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man

Everyone considered him

The coward of the county