Coward Of The County Chords by Kenny Rogers
Tempo:
90.9 bpm
Chords used:
G
D
C
C#
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[C]
Everyone considered him [F] the coward [C] of the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
His [C] mama named him Tommy.
[F] The folks just called [C] him Yellow.
Something always told me they [G] were reading Tommy [C] wrong.
He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy died [C] in prison.
I looked after Tommy, cause he was my [G] brother's son.
[C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother [C] said,
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] Headlong in your weeping, [F] you tiny [C] eyes of sheep,
I hope [F] you're old enough to [G] understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to [C] be a man.
[C#] There's someone for [F#] everyone, and 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 Gatlin [C#] boys came calling.
They took turns at Becky, [G#] and there [C#] was three of them.
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying.
The torn dress, the shattered look, was more than [G#] he could stand.
[C#] And he reached above the fireplace [F#] and took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
As his tears fell on his daddy's [G#] face, he heard these [C#] words again,
Promise me, son, [F#] not to do the [C#] things I've done.
[F#] Walk [C#] away from trouble [G#] if you can.
[C#] Headlong in your weeping, [F#] you tiny [C#] eyes of sheep,
I hope you're [F#] old enough to [G#] understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to [C#] be 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 [A] across the floor.
[D] When Tommy turned around, they [G] said,
Hey, look, old [D] yellow's leaving.
But you could have heard her pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] to lock the door.
Twenty years of crawling [G] were bottled up [D] inside him.
He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let them [A] have it all.
[D] When Tommy left the bar room, [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
He said this once for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised your 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] didn't turn to your [D] cheap.
And Papa, I [G] sure hope you [A] understand,
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man.
Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [A] county.
[D]
Everyone considered him [F] the coward [C] of the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
His [C] mama named him Tommy.
[F] The folks just called [C] him Yellow.
Something always told me they [G] were reading Tommy [C] wrong.
He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy died [C] in prison.
I looked after Tommy, cause he was my [G] brother's son.
[C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother [C] said,
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] Headlong in your weeping, [F] you tiny [C] eyes of sheep,
I hope [F] you're old enough to [G] understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to [C] be a man.
[C#] There's someone for [F#] everyone, and 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 Gatlin [C#] boys came calling.
They took turns at Becky, [G#] and there [C#] was three of them.
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying.
The torn dress, the shattered look, was more than [G#] he could stand.
[C#] And he reached above the fireplace [F#] and took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
As his tears fell on his daddy's [G#] face, he heard these [C#] words again,
Promise me, son, [F#] not to do the [C#] things I've done.
[F#] Walk [C#] away from trouble [G#] if you can.
[C#] Headlong in your weeping, [F#] you tiny [C#] eyes of sheep,
I hope you're [F#] old enough to [G#] understand,
Son, you don't have to fight to [C#] be 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 [A] across the floor.
[D] When Tommy turned around, they [G] said,
Hey, look, old [D] yellow's leaving.
But you could have heard her pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] to lock the door.
Twenty years of crawling [G] were bottled up [D] inside him.
He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let them [A] have it all.
[D] When Tommy left the bar room, [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
He said this once for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised your 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] didn't turn to your [D] cheap.
And Papa, I [G] sure hope you [A] understand,
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man.
Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [A] county.
[D]
Key:
G
D
C
C#
F
G
D
C
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Everyone considered him [F] the coward [C] of the county.
_ He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong. _
His [C] mama named him Tommy.
[F] The folks just called [C] him Yellow.
_ _ Something always told me they [G] were reading Tommy [C] wrong.
_ _ He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy died [C] in prison. _ _
I looked after Tommy, cause he was my [G] brother's son. _
_ [C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother [C] said,
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] Headlong in your weeping, [F] you tiny [C] eyes of sheep,
I hope [F] you're old enough to [G] understand,
_ Son, you don't have to fight to [C] be a man.
_ [C#] There's someone for [F#] everyone, and 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 Gatlin [C#] boys came calling.
_ _ They took turns at Becky, [G#] and there [C#] was three of them.
_ _ Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying. _
The torn dress, the shattered look, was more than [G#] he could stand.
_ [C#] And he reached above the fireplace [F#] and took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
_ As his tears fell on his daddy's [G#] face, he heard these [C#] words again,
_ _ Promise me, son, [F#] not to do the [C#] things I've done.
[F#] Walk [C#] away from trouble [G#] if you can.
_ _ [C#] Headlong in your weeping, [F#] you tiny [C#] eyes of sheep,
I hope you're [F#] old enough to [G#] understand,
_ Son, you don't have to fight to [C#] be 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 [A] across the floor.
_ [D] When Tommy turned around, they [G] said,
Hey, look, old [D] yellow's leaving.
_ _ But you could have heard her pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] to lock the door.
_ _ Twenty years of crawling [G] were bottled up [D] inside him. _
He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let them [A] have it all.
_ [D] When Tommy left the bar room, [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
_ He said this once for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised your 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] didn't turn to your [D] cheap.
And Papa, I [G] sure hope you [A] understand,
_ Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man.
_ _ _ Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [A] county.
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Everyone considered him [F] the coward [C] of the county.
_ He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong. _
His [C] mama named him Tommy.
[F] The folks just called [C] him Yellow.
_ _ Something always told me they [G] were reading Tommy [C] wrong.
_ _ He was only ten years old [F] when his daddy died [C] in prison. _ _
I looked after Tommy, cause he was my [G] brother's son. _
_ [C] I still recall the final words [F] my brother [C] said,
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] Headlong in your weeping, [F] you tiny [C] eyes of sheep,
I hope [F] you're old enough to [G] understand,
_ Son, you don't have to fight to [C] be a man.
_ [C#] There's someone for [F#] everyone, and 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 Gatlin [C#] boys came calling.
_ _ They took turns at Becky, [G#] and there [C#] was three of them.
_ _ Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his Becky [C#] crying. _
The torn dress, the shattered look, was more than [G#] he could stand.
_ [C#] And he reached above the fireplace [F#] and took down his [C#] daddy's picture.
_ As his tears fell on his daddy's [G#] face, he heard these [C#] words again,
_ _ Promise me, son, [F#] not to do the [C#] things I've done.
[F#] Walk [C#] away from trouble [G#] if you can.
_ _ [C#] Headlong in your weeping, [F#] you tiny [C#] eyes of sheep,
I hope you're [F#] old enough to [G#] understand,
_ Son, you don't have to fight to [C#] be 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 [A] across the floor.
_ [D] When Tommy turned around, they [G] said,
Hey, look, old [D] yellow's leaving.
_ _ But you could have heard her pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] to lock the door.
_ _ Twenty years of crawling [G] were bottled up [D] inside him. _
He wasn't holding nothing back.
He let them [A] have it all.
_ [D] When Tommy left the bar room, [G] not a Gatlin boy [D] was standing.
_ He said this once for Becky [A] as he watched the last [D] one fall.
And I heard him say,
I promised your 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] didn't turn to your [D] cheap.
And Papa, I [G] sure hope you [A] understand,
_ Sometimes you gotta fight when you're [D] a man.
_ _ _ Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [A] county.
[D] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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