LetsSingIt the internet lyrics database
en
1
picture

"Coward Of The County" Lyrics

4.8 / 5
Song updated, review now!
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him yellow,
But something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.

He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
Well, I looked after Tommy 'coz he was my brother's son.
And I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun."

"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've 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 ev'ryone, 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 Gatlin boys came callin'.
They took turns at Becky, 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, took down his daddy's picture.
As the tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again.

"Promise me son, not to do the things I've 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."

The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.
Then Tommy turned around they said, Hey look ol' yellow's leavin'."
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door.

Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
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've done.
I'll walk away from trouble if I can.
Now please don't think I'm weak, I couldn't turn the other cheek,
And papa, I sure hope you understand:
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."

Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county...
song info:
Verified yes
LanguageEnglish
GenreCountry
Rank
Duration00:04:18
Charts
Copyright ©Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music
WriterRoger Dale Bowling, Billy Edd Wheeler
Lyrics licensed byLyricFind
Added
Last updatedAugust 27th, 2022
About

Album Details

Kenny Rogers - A&E Live By Request [2001]
Kenny Rogers - Through the Years (Italy) [1999]
Kenny Rogers - Lady [1981]
Lady / track 6
Kenny Rogers
5.0 / 5 (3)
Kenny Rogers - The Best of Kenny Rogers [EMI-Capitol] [1992]
Kenny Rogers - The Best of Kenny Rogers [Capitol/EMI] [1995]
Kenny Rogers - Through the Years (Disc #2) [BXR] [1998]
Kenny Rogers - Original Gold Disc Two [Disky] [1998]
Kenny Rogers - Simply the Best [Disky] [1999]
Kenny Rogers - The Best of Kenny Rogers [Madacy] [2001]
Kenny Rogers - The Best of Kenny Rogers [Collectables] [2003]
Kenny Rogers - The Best Of Kenny Rogers, Vol. 2 [Platinum Disc] [2003]
Kenny Rogers - Best Of [Platinum Disc] [2003]
Kenny Rogers - The Greatest [Rio Creek] [2003]
Kenny Rogers - The Very Best Of [Album] [2006]
Kenny Rogers - 20 Great Years [1990]
Kenny Rogers - 20 Greatest Hits [1994]
Kenny Rogers - 20 Greatest Hits - v2 [1983]
Kenny Rogers - 21 Number Ones [2006]
21 Number Ones / track 5
Kenny Rogers
4.0 / 5 (2)
Kenny Rogers - 25 Greatest Hits [1987]
Kenny Rogers - 42 Ultimate Hits [2004]
Kenny Rogers - All The Hits & All New Love [1999]
Kenny Rogers - Back To The Well - v2 [2003]
Kenny Rogers - Branson City Limits [1998]
Kenny Rogers - Daytime Friends - The Very Best Of [1993]
Kenny Rogers - Lucille: The Collection [2015]
Kenny Rogers - Through the Years: A Reteospective [1999]
Kenny Rogers - Greatest Country Hits - v1 [1990]
Kenny Rogers - Greatest Hits - v2 [1980]
Kenny Rogers - Greatest Hits - v3 [1980]
Kenny Rogers - Kenny [1979]
Kenny / track 11
Kenny Rogers
5.0 / 5 (1)
Ten Guitars (New Zealand) [2011] (compilation series) - Ten Guitars 2 [2010]
Ten Guitars 2 / track 17
Ten Guitars (New Zealand) compilation series
4.5 / 5 (22)

Video

Songs you may also like

Kenny Rogers
Similar genre
Popular on LetsSingIt
New on LetsSingIt
show all Kenny Rogers songs
show more songs with similar genre
show this week's top 1000 most popular songs
show all recently added songs

Contributors

leaderboard
activity

Comments (2)