Coward Of The County - simple version

Kenny Rogers

• CC
  P:
  x---x---x---x x---x---x---x 

  x---x---x---x x---x---x---x
• CFCCCFCG7G7CC
  S1:
  Everyone considered him the coward of the county 

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

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

  Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong
• CFCCG7CFCCG7C
  S2:
  He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison 

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

  I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy 

  "Son, my life is over, but yours has just begun"
• CFCFCG7CFCCFG7G7C
  R1:
  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
• CCCCFFCCG7G7C
  S3:
  There's someone for everyone, and Tommy's love was Becky 

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

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

  They took turns at Becky, there was three of them
• CCCCFFCCCG7G7
  S4:
  Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky crying 

  The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand 

  He reached above the fireplace, took down his daddy's picture 

  As a tear fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again
• CCCCCCFFFFG7G7G7C
  R2:
  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
• CCCCCCCFFG7G7
  S5:
  The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom 

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

  Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look, old yella's leavin'" but 

  You could've heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door
• CCCCCCCFFG7G7
  S6:
  Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him 

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

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

  He said, "This one's for Becky" 

  As he watched the last one fall and I heard him say
• CCCCCCCFFFFG7G7G7
  R3:
  I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done 

  I walk away from trouble when I can 

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

  And Papa, I sure hope you understand 

  Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
• CCF
  D:
  Everyone considered him the coward of the county