Coward of the Country Chords by Ray Dylan
Tempo:
89.95 bpm
Chords used:
G
D
C
C#
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[C]
Everyone considered him [F] a coward [C] of the county.
He never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
[C] His mama named him Tommy [F] and the folks just [C] called him Yellow.
Something always told me [G] they were reading [C] Tommy wrong.
He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy [C] died in prison.
I looked after Tommy cause he was my [G] brother's son.
[C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother said [C] to Tommy.
Son, my life is over [G] but yours has just [C] begun.
Promise me son not [F] to do the [C] things I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble [G] if you can.
[C] It won't mean you're weak if [F] you turn the [C] other cheek.
I hope you're [F] old enough to [G] understand.
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C] a man.
[C#] There's someone for everyone [F#] and Tommy's [C#] love is Becky.
In her arms he didn't have to prove he [G#] was a man.
[C#] One day while he was working [F#] the Gatlin boys [C#] came calling.
They took turns at Becky.
[G#] There was three [C#] of them.
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying.
The torn dress and the shattered look was more than he [G#] could stand.
[C#] He reached above the fireplace and [F#] took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
As the tears fell on his daddy's face [G#] he heard these [C#] words again.
Promise me son not [F#] to do the things [C#] I've done.
[F#] Walk away [C#] from trouble if [G#] you can.
[C#] Now it won't mean you're weak if [F#] you turn the [C#] other cheek.
I hope you're old [F#] enough to [G#] understand.
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C#] a man.
[D] The Gatlin boys just laughed at him [G] when he walked into [D] the bar room.
One of them got up and met him halfway across [A] the floor.
[D] When Tommy turned around they said,
[G] Hey look old [D] yellow's leaving.
But you could hear a pin drop when Tommy [A] stopped and locked [D] the door.
And he hears a calling [G] what's bottled up [D] inside him.
He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let him have [A] it all.
[D] When Tommy left the bar room [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
He said there's one for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised you dad not [G] to do the things [D] you've done.
[G] I'll walk away from trouble [D] when [A] I can.
[D] Now please don't think I'm weak I [G] didn't turn the other [D] cheek.
And papa I [G] sure hope you [A] understand.
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man.
Everyone consider him [G] the coward of the county.
[D]
Everyone considered him [F] a coward [C] of the county.
He never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
[C] His mama named him Tommy [F] and the folks just [C] called him Yellow.
Something always told me [G] they were reading [C] Tommy wrong.
He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy [C] died in prison.
I looked after Tommy cause he was my [G] brother's son.
[C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother said [C] to Tommy.
Son, my life is over [G] but yours has just [C] begun.
Promise me son not [F] to do the [C] things I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble [G] if you can.
[C] It won't mean you're weak if [F] you turn the [C] other cheek.
I hope you're [F] old enough to [G] understand.
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C] a man.
[C#] There's someone for everyone [F#] and Tommy's [C#] love is Becky.
In her arms he didn't have to prove he [G#] was a man.
[C#] One day while he was working [F#] the Gatlin boys [C#] came calling.
They took turns at Becky.
[G#] There was three [C#] of them.
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying.
The torn dress and the shattered look was more than he [G#] could stand.
[C#] He reached above the fireplace and [F#] took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
As the tears fell on his daddy's face [G#] he heard these [C#] words again.
Promise me son not [F#] to do the things [C#] I've done.
[F#] Walk away [C#] from trouble if [G#] you can.
[C#] Now it won't mean you're weak if [F#] you turn the [C#] other cheek.
I hope you're old [F#] enough to [G#] understand.
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C#] a man.
[D] The Gatlin boys just laughed at him [G] when he walked into [D] the bar room.
One of them got up and met him halfway across [A] the floor.
[D] When Tommy turned around they said,
[G] Hey look old [D] yellow's leaving.
But you could hear a pin drop when Tommy [A] stopped and locked [D] the door.
And he hears a calling [G] what's bottled up [D] inside him.
He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let him have [A] it all.
[D] When Tommy left the bar room [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
He said there's one for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised you dad not [G] to do the things [D] you've done.
[G] I'll walk away from trouble [D] when [A] I can.
[D] Now please don't think I'm weak I [G] didn't turn the other [D] cheek.
And papa I [G] sure hope you [A] understand.
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man.
Everyone consider him [G] the coward of the county.
[D]
Key:
G
D
C
C#
F
G
D
C
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Everyone considered him [F] a coward [C] of the county.
_ He never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
_ [C] His mama named him Tommy [F] and the folks just [C] called him Yellow.
_ Something always told me [G] they were reading [C] Tommy wrong. _
He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy [C] died in prison.
_ I looked after Tommy cause he was my [G] brother's son.
_ [C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother said [C] to Tommy.
_ Son, my life is over [G] but yours has just [C] begun. _ _ _
Promise me son not [F] to do the [C] things I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble [G] if you can. _
[C] It won't mean you're weak if [F] you turn the [C] other cheek.
I hope you're [F] old enough to [G] understand. _ _
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C] a man. _
[C#] There's someone for everyone [F#] and Tommy's [C#] love is Becky.
_ In her arms he didn't have to prove he [G#] was a man.
_ [C#] One day while he was working [F#] the Gatlin boys [C#] came calling.
_ They took turns at Becky.
_ [G#] There was three [C#] of them. _ _
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying.
_ The torn dress and the shattered look was more than he [G#] could stand.
_ [C#] He reached above the fireplace and [F#] took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
_ As the tears fell on his daddy's face [G#] he heard these [C#] words again. _ _
Promise me son not [F#] to do the things [C#] I've done.
[F#] Walk away [C#] from trouble if [G#] you can. _ _
[C#] Now it won't mean you're weak if [F#] you turn the [C#] other cheek.
I hope you're old [F#] enough to [G#] understand. _ _
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C#] a man.
[D] The Gatlin boys just laughed at him [G] when he walked into [D] the bar room.
_ One of them got up and met him halfway across [A] the floor.
_ _ [D] When Tommy turned around they said,
[G] Hey look old [D] yellow's leaving.
_ But you could hear a pin drop when Tommy [A] stopped and locked [D] the door. _ _
And he hears a calling [G] what's bottled up [D] inside him.
_ He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let him have [A] it all.
_ _ [D] When Tommy left the bar room [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
_ He said there's one for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised you dad not [G] to do the things [D] you've done.
[G] I'll walk away from trouble [D] when [A] I can. _ _
[D] Now please don't think I'm weak I [G] didn't turn the other [D] cheek.
And papa I [G] sure hope you [A] understand. _ _
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man. _ _
Everyone consider him [G] the coward of the county.
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ Everyone considered him [F] a coward [C] of the county.
_ He never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
_ [C] His mama named him Tommy [F] and the folks just [C] called him Yellow.
_ Something always told me [G] they were reading [C] Tommy wrong. _
He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy [C] died in prison.
_ I looked after Tommy cause he was my [G] brother's son.
_ [C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother said [C] to Tommy.
_ Son, my life is over [G] but yours has just [C] begun. _ _ _
Promise me son not [F] to do the [C] things I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble [G] if you can. _
[C] It won't mean you're weak if [F] you turn the [C] other cheek.
I hope you're [F] old enough to [G] understand. _ _
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C] a man. _
[C#] There's someone for everyone [F#] and Tommy's [C#] love is Becky.
_ In her arms he didn't have to prove he [G#] was a man.
_ [C#] One day while he was working [F#] the Gatlin boys [C#] came calling.
_ They took turns at Becky.
_ [G#] There was three [C#] of them. _ _
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying.
_ The torn dress and the shattered look was more than he [G#] could stand.
_ [C#] He reached above the fireplace and [F#] took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
_ As the tears fell on his daddy's face [G#] he heard these [C#] words again. _ _
Promise me son not [F#] to do the things [C#] I've done.
[F#] Walk away [C#] from trouble if [G#] you can. _ _
[C#] Now it won't mean you're weak if [F#] you turn the [C#] other cheek.
I hope you're old [F#] enough to [G#] understand. _ _
Son, you don't have to fight to be [C#] a man.
[D] The Gatlin boys just laughed at him [G] when he walked into [D] the bar room.
_ One of them got up and met him halfway across [A] the floor.
_ _ [D] When Tommy turned around they said,
[G] Hey look old [D] yellow's leaving.
_ But you could hear a pin drop when Tommy [A] stopped and locked [D] the door. _ _
And he hears a calling [G] what's bottled up [D] inside him.
_ He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let him have [A] it all.
_ _ [D] When Tommy left the bar room [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
_ He said there's one for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised you dad not [G] to do the things [D] you've done.
[G] I'll walk away from trouble [D] when [A] I can. _ _
[D] Now please don't think I'm weak I [G] didn't turn the other [D] cheek.
And papa I [G] sure hope you [A] understand. _ _
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man. _ _
Everyone consider him [G] the coward of the county.
_ [D] _ _ _ _ _ _
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