Chords:
{t:Coward Of The County}
{artist:Kenny Rogers}
{key:D}
Kenny Rogers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbYj3tJRSO8
{c: 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.
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[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.
{c: }
[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."
{c: }
[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!
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[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 :
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[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."
{c: }
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.
{c: }
[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 :
{c: }
"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]
