Ukeadoodle

Coward Of The County - Kenny Rogers

Intro: [A] [A]

Verse 1:
A                            D              A
 Everyone considered him the  coward of the  county
                                                     E7
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county  wrong.
    A                          D                      A
His  mama named him Tommy, but  folks just called him  yellow,
                                   E7             A
Something always told me they were  reading Tommy  wrong.

Verse 2:
A                                   D              A
 He was only ten years old when his  daddy died in  prison;
                                                 E7
I took care of Tommy, 'cause he was my brother's  son.
  A                                D                A
I  still recall the final words my  brother said to  Tommy,
                          E7              A
"Son my life is over, but  yours has just  begun".

|Chorus:
|A                         D                   A
| "Promise me, son, not to  do the things I've  done
|D               A               E7
| Walk away from  trouble if you  can.
|A                                 D               A
| It won't mean you're weak if you  turn the other  cheek
|A                  D               E7
| I hope you're old  enough to understand,
|E7                                    A
| Son, you don't have to fight to be a  man."
 
Verse 3:
A                                  D                 A  
 There's someone for everyone, and  Tommy's love was  Becky.
A                                             E7
 In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a  man.
A                                  D                 A
 One day while he was working, the  Gatlin boys came  calling
                          E7                      A
They took turns at Becky,  (n' there was three of  them).

Verse 4:
A                                  D             
 Tommy opened up the door, and saw  Becky crying. [A]
                                                          E7
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could  stand.
A                                         D                 A
 He reached above the fireplace, and took  down his daddy's  picture.
                                          E7                 A
As the tears fell on his daddy's face, he  heard these words  again

[Chorus]

Verse 5:
A                                            D                A 
 The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he  walked into the  barroom;
                                                  E7
One of them got up and met him half way cross the  floor.
A                                         D                   A
 When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey  look! old yeller's  leaving,"
                                             E7                      A
But you could've heard a pin drop when Tommy  stopped and locked the  door.

Verse 6:
A                              D           A
 Twenty years of crawling were  bottled up  inside him.
                                                    E7
He wasn't holding nothing back - he let 'em have it  all.
A                                    D               A
 When Tommy left the bar room, not a  Gatlin boy was  standing.
A                                      E7                    A
 He said, "This one's for Becky, as he  watched the last one  fall. (And I heard him say,)

|Chorus:
|A                             D                     A
| "I promised you, Dad, not to  do the things you've  done
|D                 A               E7                  
| I walk away from  trouble when I  can
|    A                                      D               A
|Now  please don't think I'm weak, I didn't  turn the other  cheek,
|A                 D              E7
| And papa, I sure  hope you understand 
|    E7                                  A
|Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a  man".
 
Outro:
[A] Everyone considered him the [D*] coward of the [A*] county.

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