A
D
E
E7
A
Ev’ryone considered him
D
A
the coward of the county.
E
to prove the county wrong.
A
His mama named him Tommy,
D
A
the folks just called him yellow,
E
A
they were reading Tommy wrong.
A
He was only ten years old
D
A
when his daddy died in prison.
E
he was my brother’s son.
A
I still recall the final words
D
A
my brother said to Tommy:
E
A
but yours is just begun.
A
Promise me, son,
E
A
not to do the things I’ve done.
D
A
E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A
It wont mean youre weak
D
A
if you turn the other cheek.
D
E
I hope you’re old enough to understand:
E7
A
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.”
A
There’s someone for ev’ryone
D
A
and Tommy’s love was Becky.
E
to prove he was a man.
A
One day while he was workin’
D
A
the Gatlin boys came callin’.
E
They took turns at Becky
A
There was three of them!
A
Tommy opened up the door
D
A
and saw his Becky cryin’.
E
was more than he could stand.
A
He reached above the fireplace
D
A
and took down his daddy’s picture.
E
A
he heard these words again:
A
“Promise me, son,
E
A
not to do the things I’ve done.
D
A
E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A
It won’t mean you’re weak
D
A
if you turn the other cheek.
D
E
I hope you’re old enough to understand:
E7
A
Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.”
A
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him
D
A
when he walked into the barroom.
E
halfway ‘cross the floor.
A
When Tommy turned around they said,
D
A
“Hey look! ol’ yellow’s leavin’.”
E
A
when Tommy stopped and blocked the door.
A
Twenty years of crawlin’
D
A
was bottled up inside him.
E
he let ’em have it all.
A
When Tommy left the barroom
D
A
not a Gatlin boy was standin’.
E
A
as he watched the last one fall.
A
“I promised you, Dad, not to
D
A
do the things you done.
E
I walk away from trouble when I can.
A
Now please don’t think I’m weak,
D
A
I didn’t turn the other cheek,
D
E
and Papa, I sure hope you understand:
E7
A
Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.”
A
Ev’ryone considered him
D
A
the coward of the county.
E7
A
D
E
