Coward Of The County artist:Kenny Rogers writer:Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler

Kenny Rogers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbYj3tJRSO8

Key changes have been simplified - 2 tone steps not 1 tone [C] Ev'ryone considered him the [F] coward of the [C] county, he'd never stood one single time to prove the county [G] wrong. His [C] mama named him Tommy, the [F] folks just called him “[C] Yellow”, but something always told me they were [G] reading Tommy [C] wrong.

[C] He was only ten years old when his [F] daddy died in [C] prison, I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's [G] son. I [C] still recall the final words my [F] brother said to [C] Tommy: "Son, my life is over, but [G] your's has just be[C]gun.

Chorus: [C] “Promise me, son, not to [F] do the things I've [C] done, [F] walk away from [C] trouble if you [G] can. [C] It won't mean you're weak if you [F] turn the other [C] cheek, I hope you're old e[F]nough to under[G]stand : Son, you don't have to [G7] fight to be a [C] man."

[D] There's someone for ev'ryone and [G] Tommy's love was [D] Becky, in her arms he didn't have to prove he was a [A] man. One [D] day while he was workin' the [G] Gatlin boys came [D] callin', they took turns at Becky, [A] there was three of [D] them!

[D] Tommy opened up the door and [G] saw his Becky [D] cryin', the torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could [A] stand. He [D] reached above the fireplace and took [G] down his daddy's [D] picture, as his tears fell on his daddy's face, he [A] heard these words a-[D]gain :

[D] “Promise me, son, not to [G] do the things I've [D] done, [G] walk away from [D] trouble if you [A] can. [D] It won't mean you're weak if you [G] turn the other [D] cheek, I hope you're old e[G]nough to under[A]stand : Son, you don't have to [A7] fight to be a [D] man."

The [E] Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he [A] walked into the [E] barroom, one of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the [B7] floor. When [E] Tommy turned around they said, "Hey [A] look! Ol' Yellow's [E] leavin'." [NC] But you coulda heard a pin drop, when Tommy [B7] stopped and blocked the [E] door.

[E] Twenty years of crawlin' was [A] bottled up in[E]side him, he wasn't holdin' nothin' back, he let 'em have it [B7] all. When [E] Tommy left the barroom not a [A] Gatlin boy was [E] standin', he said, "This one's for Becky," as he [B7] watched the last one [E] fall. [NC] And I heard him say :

"I [E] promised you, Dad, not to [A] do the things you [E] done, I [A] walk away from [E] trouble when I [B7] can. Now [E] please don't think I'm weak, I didn't [A] turn the other [E] cheek, and Papa, I sure [A] hope you under[B7]stand : Sometimes you gotta [B7] fight when you're a [E] man." [E] Ev'ryone considered him the [A] coward of the county [E]

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