Coward Of The Country
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
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
And 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
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
And 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
And 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 bar room
One of them got up and met him halfway across the floor
When Tommy turned around they said hey look old Yellow'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 them 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
And I heard him say
I promised you dad, not to do the things you've done
I walked away from trouble when I can
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek
And papa I should hope you'll understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
Everyone considered him the coward of the county