Coward of the county Kenny Rogers

Coward of the county (acordes/chords)

Kenny Rogers 

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Everyone considered him the coward of the county

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He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong

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His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him Yellow

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But something always told me, they were reading Tommy wrong

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He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison

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I looked after Tommy, 'cause he was my brother's son

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I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy

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"Son, my life is over, but yours has just begun"

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

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Walk away from trouble if you can

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Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek

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I hope you're old enough to understand

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Son, you don't have to fight to be a man"

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There's someone for everyone and Tommy's love was Becky

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In her arms, he didn't have to prove he was a man

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One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling

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They took turns at Becky an' there was three of them

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Tommy opened up the door and saw Becky crying

                                               

The torn dress, the shattered look was more 

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than he could stand

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He reached above the fireplace and took down 

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his daddy's picture

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As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard 

these words again

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

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Walk away from trouble if you can

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Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek

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I hope you're old enough to understand

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Son, you don't have to fight to be a man"

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The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked 

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into the bar room

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One of them got up and met him half way cross the floor

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When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! 

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Old Yellow's leaving"

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But you could've heard a pin drop when Tommy 

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stopped and locked the door

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Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him

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He wasn't holding nothing back, he let 'em have it all

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When Tommy left the bar room, not a Gatlin boy was standing

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He said, "This one's for Becky", as he watched 

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the last one fall And I heard him say

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"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done

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I walk away from trouble when I can

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Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek

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And Papa, I should hope you understand

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Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man"

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Everyone considered him the coward of the county