coward of the county Chords by Kenny Rogers

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_ _ _ Everyone considered [F] him a coward [C] of the county, _ _ never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
_ _ [C] His mama called him Tommy, the [F] folks just [C] called him Yellow, _ _ something always told me [G] they were reading [C] Tommy wrong.
_ _ He was only ten years [F] old when his daddy [C] died in prison, _ and I took care of Tommy, cause he was my [G] brother's son.
_ [C] I still recall the final [F] words my brother [C] said to Tommy, _ _ son my life is over, [G] but yours has [C] just begun.
_ _ Promise me son [F] not to do the [C] things I've done, [F] walk [C] away from trouble [G] if you can.
_ [C] Now it don't mean you're weak [F] if you turn the [C] other cheek, and I hope you're [F] old enough to [G] understand, _ son you don't have to fight to [C] be a man.
_ _ [C#] There's someone for everyone, [F#] Tommy's [C#] love was Becky, _ in her arms he didn't have to prove he [G#] was a man.
_ _ [C#] One day while he was working, [F#] the cattle and [C#] boys came calling, _ they took turns at Becky, _ [G#] and there were [C#] three of them. _
_ _ Tommy opened up the [F#] door, saw his [C#] Becky crying, _ _ torn dress, the shattered look was more than [G#] he could stand.
_ [C#] He reached above the fireplace, [F#] took down his [C#] daddy's picture, _ as the tears fell on his daddy's [G#] face, I heard his [C#] words again. _
_ _ Promise me son [F#] not to do the [C#] things I've done, [F#] walk [C#] away from trouble if [G#] you can. _
_ [C#] Now it don't mean you're weak if [F#] you turn the [C#] other cheek, and I hope you're [F#] old enough to [G#] understand, _ son you don't have to fight to [C#] be a man. _
_ [D] The cattle and boys just laughed at him [G] when he walked into [D] the bar room, _ one of them got up and hit him halfway across [A] the floor.
_ _ [D] Tommy turned around and said, [G] hey look old [D] yellow's leaving, _ _ she could have heard a pin drop, [A] Tommy stopped and locked [D] the door. _
_ _ Twenty years of crawling, [G] bottled up [D] inside him, _ he wasn't holding nothing back, he let him [A] have it all.
_ [D] Tommy left the bar room, [G] not a cattle and boy [D] was standing, _ he said this once for Becky, [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall, I heard him say.
I promised you dad not [G] to do the things [D] you've done, [G] I'll walk away [D] from trouble when [A] I can. _
_ [D] Now please don't think I'm weak, I [G] couldn't turn the [D] other cheek, Papa I [G] sure hope you [A] understand, _ _ sometimes you gotta fight to be a [D] man. _
_ _ Everyone considered him [G] the coward _ [D] of the county. _ _ _ _
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