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
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
Said son my life is over
But yours has just begun
So promise me son not to do
The things I've done
Walk away from trouble
If you can
It won'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 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
Tommy opened up the door
And saw Becky crying
The torn dress
The shattered look
Was more than he could stand
He reached above the fireplace
And took down his daddy's picture
As his tears fell on his daddy's face
He heard this words again
Just promise me son not to do
The things I've done
Just walk away from trouble
If you can
It won'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 bar room
One of them got up and met him
Half way cross the floor
When Tommy turned around they said
Hey look old yellow's leaving
But you could've heard a pin drop
When Tommy stopped and locked the door
Now twenty years of crawling
Were bottled up inside him
He would hold nothing back he
Let'em have it all
When Tommy left the bar room
Not a Gatlin boy was standing
He said this ones for Becky
As he watched the last one fall
Now hear him say
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 should hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight
When you're a man
Everyone considered him
The coward of the county
