Coward of the County Kenny Rogers
Date: Sun, 02 Oct 1994 12:35:15 -0400 (EDT)<br/> From: Alex Rudd <br/> <br/> "Coward of the County" - by Kenny Rogers (1979)<br/> Words and Music by Roger Bowling & Billy Edd Wheeler<br/> <br/> SIMPed by Alex Rudd - ahrjj@cunyvm.cuny.edu<br/> <br/> Chords:<br/> <br/> A D E E7<br/> E ---0------2------0------0-----<br/> B ---2------3------0------3-----<br/> G ---2------2------1------1-----<br/> D ---2------0------2------2-----<br/> A ---0-------------2------2-----<br/> E -----------------0------0-----<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> Capo 3rd Fret<br/> <br/> (In a moderate country half-time)<br/> <br/> A D A<br/> Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.<br/> E<br/> He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.<br/> A D A<br/> His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow,<br/> E A<br/> but something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.<br/> <br/> <br/> A D A<br/> He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.<br/> E<br/> I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.<br/> A D A<br/> I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:<br/> E A<br/> "Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.<br/> <br/> <br/> A E A<br/> Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.<br/> D A E<br/> Walk away from trouble if you can.<br/> A D A<br/> It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.<br/> D E<br/> I hope you're old enough to understand:<br/> E7 A<br/> Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."<br/> <br/> [Slide capo to 4th fret]<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> A D A<br/> There's someone for ev'ryone and Tommy's love was Becky.<br/> E<br/> In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.<br/> A D A<br/> One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.<br/> E [Spoken] A<br/> They took turns at Becky.... There was three of them!<br/> <br/> <br/> A D A<br/> Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.<br/> E<br/> The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.<br/> A D A<br/> He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.<br/> E A<br/> As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:<br/> <br/> <br/> A E A<br/> "Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.<br/> D A E<br/> Walk away from trouble if you can.<br/> A D A<br/> It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.<br/> D E<br/> I hope you're old enough to understand:<br/> E7 A<br/> Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."<br/> <br/> [Slide capo to 5th fret]<br/> <br/> <br/> A D A<br/> The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.<br/> E<br/> One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.<br/> A D A<br/> When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."<br/> [Whole line spoken] E A<br/> But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door.<br/> <br/> <br/> A D A<br/> Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.<br/> E<br/> He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.<br/> A D A<br/> When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.<br/> E A<br/> He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.<br/> [Spoken]<br/> And I heard him say,<br/> <br/> <br/> A D A<br/> "I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.<br/> E<br/> I walk away from trouble when I can.<br/> A D A<br/> Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,<br/> D E<br/> and Papa, I sure hope you understand:<br/> E7 A<br/> Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."<br/> <br/> <br/> A D [No chords] A<br/> Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.<br/> <br/> <br/> Subject: CRD: C&W Coward Of The County<br/> Date: Sat, 07 Oct 1995 04:51:14 GMT<br/> <br/> COWARD OF THE COUNTY<br/> <br/> |C | |F |C |<br/> Ev'ry one con-sidered him the coward of the county<br/> | | | |G |<br/> He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong<br/> |C | |F |C |<br/> His momma named him Tommy the folks just called him yellow<br/> | | | G7 |C |<br/> Something always told me they were readin' Tommy wrong<br/> <br/> | | |F |C |<br/> He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison<br/> | | | |G |<br/> I looked after Tommy 'cos he was my brothers son<br/> |C | |F |C |<br/> I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy<br/> | | | G7 |C |<br/> Son my life is over but yours has just beg-un<br/> <br/> |C | G7 C |F |C |<br/> Promise me son not to do the things I've done<br/> |F |C |G |<br/> walk away from trouble if you can<br/> |C | G7 C |F |C<br/> Now it won't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek<br/> |F |G<br/> I hope your old enough to under-stand<br/> |Dm7 |G7 |C |<br/> you don't have to fight to be a man<br/> <br/> |D | |G |D<br/> There's someone for every one and Tommys love was Becky<br/> | | | |A |<br/> In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man<br/> |D | |G |D |<br/> One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'<br/> | | | |A7 |D<br/> They took turns at Becky There was three of them<br/> <br/> | | |G |D |<br/> Tommy open up the door and saw his Becky cryin'<br/> | | | |A |<br/> The torn dress the shattered look was more than he could stand<br/> |D | |G |D |<br/> He reached above the fire place and took down his daddys picture<br/> | | | A |D<br/> as the tears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-gain<br/> <br/> | | A D |G |<br/> Promise me son not to do the things I've done<br/> | |D |<br/> walk away from trouble if you can<br/> | | A D |G |<br/> Now it don't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek<br/> |D |G |A |<br/> I hope your old en-ough to understand<br/> | | A7 |D<br/> Son you don't have to fight to be a man<br/> <br/> |D | |C |D <br/> The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room<br/> | | | | |<br/> one of them got up and met him half way 'cross the floor<br/> |D | |G |D |<br/> when Tommy turned around they said Hey look ol' Yellows leaving<br/> | A7<br/> But you could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the<br/> door<br/> |D | |G |D |<br/> Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up in-side him<br/> | | | |A |<br/> he wasn't holdin' nothin' back he let 'em have it all<br/> |D | |G |D |<br/> when Tommy left the Bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin'<br/> | |A7<br/> He said this one's for Becky as he watched the last one fall<br/> And I heard him say.<br/> |D | A7 D |G |D<br/> I promised you Dad not to do the things you done<br/> |G |D |A7<br/> I walk away from trouble when I can<br/> |D | A7 D |G |D |<br/> now please don't think I'm weak I did-n't turn the other cheek<br/> | |G |A |A7 |<br/> and Popa I sure hope you understand some-times you've gotta fight<br/> |D |<br/> when your a man<br/> | | |G |D<br/> Every one considered him the coward of the county<br/> <br/> <br/> </div> </div> <div class="breadcrumbs">
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