COWARD OF THE COUNTY
 

EVERYONE CONSIDERED HIM THE COWARD OF THE COUNTY
HE NEVER STOOD ONE SINGLE TIME TO PROVE THE COUNTY WRONG
HIS MOMMA NAMED HIM TOMMY BUT THE FOLKS JUST CALLED HIM YELLER
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 BROTHERS SON
I STILL RECALL THE FINAL WORDS MY BROTHER SAID TO TOMMY
SON MY LIFE IS OVER YOURS HAS JUST BEGUN
 

**  PROMISE ME SON NOT TO DO WHAT I HAVE 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
 

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 GATTLIN' BOYS CAME CALLIN'
THEY TOOK TURNS AT BECKY  ( spoken ) THERE WAS THREE OF THEM
 

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
 

repeat  **
 

THE GATTLING BOYS JUST LAUGHED AT HIM WHEN HE WALKED INTO THE BAR ROOM
ONE OF THEM GOT UP AND MET HIM HALFWAY 'CROSS THE FLOOR
WHEN TOMMY TURNED AROUND THEY SAID HEY LOOK OL' YELLERS LEAVIN'
( spoken ) BUT YOU COULD HAVE HEARD A PIN DROP WHEN TOMMY STOPPED AND LOCKED THE DOOR
TWENTY YEARS OF CRAWLIN' 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 GATTLIN' 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 DONE
I WALK AWAY FROM TROUBLE WHEN I CAN
NOW DON'T THINK I'M WEAK I DIDN'T TURN THE OTHER CHEEK
AND POPPA I SURE HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND
SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA FIGHT WHEN YOU'RE A MAN

EVERYONE CONSIDERED HIM THE COWARD OF THE COUNTY

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