Coward Of The County chords by Kenny Rogers (Ver. 2)

|C       |
Ev'ry one con-sidered him the coward of the county
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He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
    |C      |
His momma named him Tommy the folks just called him yellow
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Something always told me they were readin' 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 'cos he was my brothers son
  |C       |
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy
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Son my life is over but yours has just beg-un

|C     |
Promise me son  not to do the things I've done
|G      |
walk away from trouble if you can
    |C
Now it won't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek
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I hope your old enough to under-stand
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you don't have to fight to be a man

        |C
There's someone for every one and Tommys 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 workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'
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They took turns at Becky   There was three of them

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Tommy open up the door and saw his Becky cryin'
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The torn dress the shattered look was more than he could stand
   |C      |
He reached above the fire place and took down his daddys picture
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as the tears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-gain


|             |        |C     |
Promise me son  not to do the things I've done
|G      |
walk away from trouble if you can
    |C
Now it won't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek
                   |G
I hope your old enough to under-stand
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you don't have to fight to be a man

    |D
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room
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one of them got up    and met him half  way 'cross the floor
     |D      |
when Tommy turned around they said Hey look ol' Yellows leaving
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But you could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door

|D        |
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up in-side him
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he wasn't holdin' nothin' back he let 'em have it all
     |D    |
when Tommy left the Bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin'
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He said this one's for Becky as he watched the last one fall

And I heard him say.
  |D
I promised you Dad  not to do the things you done
  |A7
I walk away from trouble when I can
    |D |
now please don't think I'm weak I did-n't turn the other cheek
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and Popa I sure hope you understand some-times you've gotta fight
            |D      |
when your a man
|            |               |D
Every one considered him the coward of the county