Coward Of The County Chords by Kenny Rogers
Tempo:
91.05 bpm
Chords used:
G
D
C
C#
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[C]
Everyone considered him [F] a coward of [C] the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
[C] His mama named him Tommy.
[F] The 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.
I looked after Tommy because he was my [G] brother's son.
I [C] 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 things [C] I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble if [G] you can.
[C] It won't mean you're weak [F] if you turn the [C] other cheek.
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#] 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 boys [C#] came calling.
They took turns at Becky,
[G#] and there was [C#] three of them.
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his [C#] Becky crying.
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than [G#] he could stand.
[C#] 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#] It won't mean you're weak [F#] if you turn the [C#] other cheek.
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 a pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] and locked the door.
Twenty years of crawling [G] bottled [D] up 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 one's for Becky [A] as he watched the [D] last 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 [D] away from trouble when [A] I can.
[D] Now, please don't think I'm weak.
I [G] didn't turn the [D] other cheek.
And Papa, [G] I sure hope you [A] understand.
Sometimes you gotta fight when [D] you're a man.
Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [D] county.
[N]
Everyone considered him [F] a coward of [C] the county.
He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong.
[C] His mama named him Tommy.
[F] The 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.
I looked after Tommy because he was my [G] brother's son.
I [C] 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 things [C] I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble if [G] you can.
[C] It won't mean you're weak [F] if you turn the [C] other cheek.
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#] 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 boys [C#] came calling.
They took turns at Becky,
[G#] and there was [C#] three of them.
Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his [C#] Becky crying.
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than [G#] he could stand.
[C#] 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#] It won't mean you're weak [F#] if you turn the [C#] other cheek.
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 a pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] and locked the door.
Twenty years of crawling [G] bottled [D] up 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 one's for Becky [A] as he watched the [D] last 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 [D] away from trouble when [A] I can.
[D] Now, please don't think I'm weak.
I [G] didn't turn the [D] other cheek.
And Papa, [G] I sure hope you [A] understand.
Sometimes you gotta fight when [D] you're a man.
Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [D] county.
[N]
Key:
G
D
C
C#
F
G
D
C
[C] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Everyone considered him [F] a coward of [C] the county.
_ _ He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong. _ _
[C] His mama named him Tommy.
[F] The 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. _ _
I looked after Tommy because he was my [G] brother's son. _
I [C] 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 things [C] I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble if [G] you can.
_ [C] It won't mean you're weak [F] if you turn the [C] other cheek.
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#] 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 boys [C#] came calling.
_ They took turns at Becky, _
[G#] and there was [C#] three of them.
_ _ Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his [C#] Becky crying. _
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than [G#] he could stand.
_ [C#] 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#] It won't mean you're weak [F#] if you turn the [C#] other cheek.
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 a pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] and locked the door.
_ _ Twenty years of crawling [G] bottled [D] up 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 one's for Becky [A] as he watched the [D] last 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 [D] away from trouble when [A] I can.
_ _ [D] Now, please don't think I'm weak.
I [G] didn't turn the [D] other cheek.
And Papa, [G] I sure hope you [A] understand.
_ Sometimes you gotta fight when [D] you're a man.
_ _ _ Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [D] county. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Everyone considered him [F] a coward of [C] the county.
_ _ He'd never stood one single time to prove the [G] county wrong. _ _
[C] His mama named him Tommy.
[F] The 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. _ _
I looked after Tommy because he was my [G] brother's son. _
I [C] 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 things [C] I've done.
[F] Walk [C] away from trouble if [G] you can.
_ [C] It won't mean you're weak [F] if you turn the [C] other cheek.
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#] 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 boys [C#] came calling.
_ They took turns at Becky, _
[G#] and there was [C#] three of them.
_ _ Tommy opened up the door [F#] and saw his [C#] Becky crying. _
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than [G#] he could stand.
_ [C#] 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#] It won't mean you're weak [F#] if you turn the [C#] other cheek.
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 a pin drop [A] when Tommy stopped [D] and locked the door.
_ _ Twenty years of crawling [G] bottled [D] up 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 one's for Becky [A] as he watched the [D] last 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 [D] away from trouble when [A] I can.
_ _ [D] Now, please don't think I'm weak.
I [G] didn't turn the [D] other cheek.
And Papa, [G] I sure hope you [A] understand.
_ Sometimes you gotta fight when [D] you're a man.
_ _ _ Everyone considered him [G] the coward of the [D] county. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _
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