Coward of the County
Kenny Rogers • Key:
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Coward of the County
Kenny Rogers
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Ev'ryone considered him the
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coward of the
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county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county
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wrong.
His
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mama named him Tommy, the
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folks just called him
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yellow,
but something always told me they were
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reading Tommy
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wrong.
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He was only ten years old when his
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daddy died in
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prison.
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's
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son.
I
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still recall the final words my
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brother said to
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Tommy:
"Son, my life is over, but
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yours is just
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begun.
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Promise me, son, not to
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do the things I've
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done.
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Walk away from
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trouble if you
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can.
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It won't mean you're weak if you
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turn the other
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cheek.
I hope you're old
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enough to under
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stand:
Son,
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you don't have to fight to be a
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man."
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There's someone for ev'ryone and
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Tommy's love was
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Becky.
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a
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man.
One
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day while he was workin' the
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Gatlin boys came
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callin'.
They took turns at Bec
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ky....
spoken
There was
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three of them!
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Tommy opened up the door and
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saw his Becky
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cryin'.
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could
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stand.
He
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reached above the fireplace and took
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down his daddy's
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picture.
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he
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heard these words
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again:
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"Promise me, son, not to
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do the things I've
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done.
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Walk away from
A
trouble if you
E
can.
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It won't mean you're weak if you
D
turn the other
A
cheek.
I hope you're old
D
enough to under
E
stand:
Son,
E7
you don't have to fight to be a
A
man."
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The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he
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walked into the
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barroom.
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the
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floor.
When
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Tommy turned around they said, "Hey
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look! ol' yellow's
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leavin'."
spoken
But you coulda heard a pin drop when
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Tommy stopped and
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blocked the door.
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Twenty years of crawlin' was
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bottled up ins
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ide him.
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it
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all.
When
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Tommy left the barroom not a
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Gatlin boy was
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standin'.
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he
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watched the last one
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fall.
spoken
And I heard him say,
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"I promised you, Dad, not to
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do the things you
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done.
I walk away from trouble when I
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can.
Now
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please don't think I'm weak, I didn't
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turn the other
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cheek,
and Poppa, I sure
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hope you under
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stand:
Some
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times you gotta fight when you're a
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man."
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Ev'ryone considered him the
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coward of the
no chord
county.
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Speed