Coward of the county

[00:10.78] Everyone considered him the coward of the county

[00:17.42] He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong

[00:24.06] His mama named him Tommy but folks just called him Yellow

[00:31.23] Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong

[00:38.14] He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison

[00:44.78] I looked after Tommy ‘cause he was my brother's son

[00:51.42] I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy

[00:58.59] "Son, my life is over but yours has just begun

[01:05.23] “Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done

[01:10.81] Walk away from trouble if you can

[01:16.12] It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek

[01:21.43] I hope you're old enough to understand

[01:26.75] Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

[01:32.59] There's someone for everyone, and Tommy's love was Becky

[01:39.50] In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man

[01:45.87] One day while he was working the gatlin boys came calling

[01:53.04] They took turns at Becky

[01:56.23] There was three of them

[01:59.95] Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky crying

[02:06.59] The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand

[02:13.23] He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture

[02:20.40] As his tears fell on his daddy's face

[02:22.79] He heard these words again

[02:27.04] “Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done

[02:32.62] Walk away from trouble if you can

[02:37.93] It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek

[02:43.25] I hope you're old enough to understand

[02:48.56] Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."

[02:54.40] The gatlin boys just laughed at him

[02:56.79] When he walked into the bar room

[03:01.31] One of them got up and met him half way 'cross the floor

[03:07.68] When Tommy turned around they said

[03:10.61] "Hey, look, old Yellow's leaving."

[03:14.86] But you could've heard a pin drop

[03:17.25] When Tommy stopped and locked the door

[03:21.76] Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him

[03:28.40] He wasn't holding nothing back, he let 'em have it all

[03:35.04] When Tommy left the bar room not a Gatlin boy was standing

[03:41.68] He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall

[03:47.26] And I heard him say

[03:48.59] "I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done

[03:54.17] I walk away from trouble when I can

[03:59.48] Now please don't think I'm weak

[04:01.87] I didn't turn the other cheek.

[04:04.79] And, Papa, I sure hope you understand

[04:10.37] Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."

[04:16.21] Everyone considered him

[04:18.87] The coward of the county