Coward Of The County chords by Judy Garland

Introd.: C times

               F
Everyone considered him the coward of the county
  C                        G   G
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
  C             F           C
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow
  C                 G       C
But someting always told me they were reading Tommy wrong
C                 F       C
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison
C                        G  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
C            G       C
"Son my life is over but yours is just begun"
C            F         C
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done

C               G
Walk away from trouble if you can
C                F
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
 C               G
I hope you're old enough to understand
  G                C
Son you don't have to fight to be a man"
    D            G        D
There's someone for everyone and Tommy's love was Becky
                       A
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man
  D               G        D
One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came callin'
                  A    D
They took turns at Becky, there was three of them
D              G       D
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'
                             A
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand
  D                  G        D
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture
                     A         D
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again
             G         D
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
               A
Walk away from trouble if you can
D                G       D
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek

                 A
I hope you're old enough to understand
                  D
Son you don't have to fight to be a man"
                      G        D
The Gatlin Boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room
                         A
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor
   D                  G         D
When Tommy turned areound they said
Hey look ol' yellow's leavin'
                      A            D
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door
               G      D
Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him
                         A
He wasn't holding nothin' back he let 'em have it all
   D               G       D
When Tommy left the bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin'
                   A          D
He said this one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall (And I heard him say)
             G         D
I promised you Dad not to do the things you done
                A
I walk away from trouble when I can
  D                  G       D
Now please don't think I'm weak I didn't turn the other cheek
                A
And Poppa
I sure hope you understand
                    D
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
              G       D
Everyone considered him the coward of the county