Coward of the County

Artist: Kenny Rogers (English)
User: Frenzel Art Organo Tolito
Duration: 130 seconds
Delay: 12 seconds
Chord names: Not defined
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Comment: -

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Updated last time:
Frenzel Art Organo Tolito,
September 22, 2022, 1:30 PM
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Text

Intro: C 

[Verse 1]
   C                          F               C 
Everyone considered him the coward of the county
                                                       G 
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
      C                         F                    C 
His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him yellow,
                                     G             C 
Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
 
 C                                    F             C 
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison;
                                                  G 
I took care of Tommy, 'cause he was my brother's son.
    C                               F                C 
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy,
                             G 
"Son my life is over, but yours has just begun".
   
[Chorus]
   C                     F                   C 
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
 F               C             G 
Walk away from trouble if you can.
  C                               F               C 
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
 C                    F             G 
I hope you're old enough to understand,
 G7                                    C 
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
 
[Verse 2]
  C#                                F#                C# 
There's someone for everyone, and Tommy's love was Becky.
                                             G# 
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
 C#                                 G#                 C# 
One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling
                           G#                    C# 
They took turns at Becky, (n' there was three of them).
 
 C#                            F#           C# 
Tommy opened up the door, and saw Becky crying.
                                                           G# 
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
 C#                                       F#                 C# 
He reached above the fireplace, and took down his daddy's picture.
                                           G#7                 C# 
As the tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:
 
[Chorus]
   C#                    F#                  C# 
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
 F#              C#            G# 
Walk away from trouble if you can.
  C#                              F#              C# 
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
 C#                   F#            G# 
I hope you're old enough to understand,
 G#7                                   C# 
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
 
[Verse 3]
 D                                             G                  D 
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom;
                                                   A 
One of them got up and met him half way cross the floor.
    D                                   G                         D 
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! old yeller's leaving,"
                                               A                      D 
But you could've heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door.
 
 D                                G                D 
Twenty years of crawling were bottled up inside him.
                                                   A 
He wasn't holding nothing back - he let 'em have it all.
  D                                  G                    D 
When Tommy left the bar room, not a Gatlin boy was standing.
                                      A7                    D 
He said, "This one's for Becky, as he watched the last one fall. 
(And I heard him say,)
   
[Chorus]
 D                            G                      D 
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done
 G                   D             A 
I walk away from trouble when I can
 D                                          G                D 
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
 D                   G              A 
And papa, I should hope you understand 
 A7                                       D 
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man".
 
                            G                   D 
Everyone considered him the coward of the county.

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