Music Video
Music Video
Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Die Campbells
Performer
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Roger Bowling
Composer
Billy Edd Wheeler
Composer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
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 readin' Tommy wrong
[Verse 2]
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"
[Verse 3]
"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"
[Verse 4]
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 workin'
The Gatlin boys came callin'
They took turns at Becky
There was three of them
[Verse 5]
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 daddy's picture
As the tears fell on his daddy's face
He heard these words again
[Verse 6]
"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"
[Verse 7]
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 Yellow's leavin'"
But you could've heard a pin drop
When Tommy stopped and locked the door
[Verse 8]
Twenty years of crawlin'
Was bottled up inside him
He wasn't holdin' nothing back
He let 'em have it all
When Tommy left the barroom
Not a Gatlin boy was standin'
He said, "This one's for Becky"
As he watched the last one fall
And I heard him say
[Verse 9]
"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 couldn't turn the other cheek
And, Papa, I sure hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man"
[Verse 10]
Everyone considered him
The coward of the county
Written by: Billy Edd Wheeler, Roger Bowling
