Coward Of The County chords by Judy Garland

Introd.: C  times

                             F
Everyone considered him the coward of the county
   C                                               G     G
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
    C                         F                     C
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow
    C                                 G             C
But someting always told me they were reading Tommy wrong
C                                  F             C
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison
C                                               G   G
I looked after Tommy cause he was my brother's son
  C                               F               C
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy
C                        G             C
"Son my life is over but yours is just begun"
C                        F                  C
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done

C                             G
Walk away from trouble if you can
C                                F
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
  C                              G
I hope you're old enough to understand
    G                               C
Son you don't have to fight to be a man"
        D                        G                D
There's someone for everyone and Tommy's love was Becky
                                             A
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man
    D                             G                D
One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came callin'
                                    A        D
They took turns at Becky, there was three of them
D                            G             D
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'
                                                          A
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand
   D                                    G                D
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture
                                          A                 D
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again
                         G                  D
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
                              A
Walk away from trouble if you can
D                                G              D
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek

                                  A
I hope you're old enough to understand
                                    D
Son you don't have to fight to be a man"
                                            G               D
The Gatlin Boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room
                                                  A
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor
     D                                    G                 D
When Tommy turned areound they said
Hey look ol' yellow's leavin'
                                           A                       D
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door
                             G            D
Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him
                                                  A
He wasn't holding nothin' back he let 'em have it all
     D                             G              D
When Tommy left the bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin'
                                     A                    D
He said this one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall (And I heard him say)
                          G                 D
I promised you Dad not to do the things you done
                                A
I walk away from trouble when I can
    D                                    G              D
Now please don't think I'm weak I didn't turn the other cheek
                                A
And Poppa
I sure hope you understand
                                        D
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
                            G             D
Everyone considered him the coward of the county