Coward Of The County Uke tab by Kenny Rogers

Strumming pattern: Island strum

Verse 1
C                           F             C
Everyone considered him the coward of the county
                                                   G
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
C                             F                     C
His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him yellow
                                   G             C
Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong

Verse 2
C                                  F             C
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
                                                G
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.
C                                 F               C
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
                           G                  C
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun".


Chorus 1
C                      F                 C
Promise me son not to do the things I've done
F              C              G
Walk away from trouble if you can
C                                    F              C
Now it don't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
C                 F         G
I hope you're old enough to understand
F                 G             C
You don't have to fight to be a man

Verse 3
C                                F                C
There's someone for everyone and Tommy's love was Becky
                                             G
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man
C                             F                    C
One day while he was workin', the Gatlin Boys came callin'
                          G                   C
They took turns at Becky, there were three of them.

Verse 4
C                            F             C
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.
                                                          G
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
C                                  F                     C
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
                                       G                    C
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:

Chorus 2
C                     F                  C
Promise me son not to do the things I've done
F              C              G
Walk away from trouble if you can
C                             F                     C
Now it don't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
                  F         G
I hope you're old enough to understand
F                 G             C
You don't have to fight to be a man

Verse 5
C                                        F                  C
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room
                                                G
One of the got up and hit him halfway cross the floor
C                               F                       C
Tommy turned around they said, "Hey, look! Ol' Yellow's leavin'!"
                                           G                      C
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door.

Verse 6 
C                            F                 C
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
                                                   G
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
C                           F                    C
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
                                 G                          C
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.

And I heard him say,

Chorus 3
C                          F                    C
I promised you Dad, not to do the things you've done
F                   C            G 
I'll walk away from trouble if I can
    C                                       F              C
Now Please don't think I'm weak, I couldn't turn the other cheek
                          G
Papa I sure hope you understand
C                   F                   C
sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man

C                           F             C
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.