Coward of the County-Academy Allstars

[ti:Coward of the County] [ar:Academy Allstars] [al:A Tribute to the Best Selling Music Artists USA Vol. 2] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Coward of the County - Academy Allstars [00:12.74]Everyone considered him the coward of the county [00:19.26]He'd never stood one single time [00:21.70]To prove the county wrong [00:24.57] [00:25.66]His mama named him Tommy [00:27.89]But folks just called him Yellow [00:30.88] [00:32.23]Something always told me [00:34.55]They were reading Tommy wrong [00:37.66] [00:38.88]He was only ten years old [00:41.14]When his daddy died in prison [00:44.52] [00:45.29]I looked after Tommy [00:47.32]Cause he was my brother's son [00:50.78] [00:51.44]I still recall the final words [00:54.13]My brother said to Tommy [00:57.48] [00:58.26]"Son my life is over [01:00.84]But yours has just begun" [01:03.63] [01:04.89]"Promise me son [01:06.83]Not to do the things I've done [01:09.96]Walk away from trouble if you can [01:13.87] [01:15.23]It won't mean you're weak [01:17.27]If you turn the other cheek [01:20.22]I hope you're old enough to understand [01:25.37]Son you don't have to fight to be a man" [01:29.90] [01:30.82]There's someone for everyone [01:33.17]And Tommy's love was Becky [01:36.31] [01:37.51]In her arms [01:38.44]He didn't have to prove he was a man [01:42.55] [01:43.90]One day while he was working [01:46.14]The Gatlin boys came calling [01:49.60] [01:50.53]They took turns at Becky an [01:52.89] [01:53.41]Nvever three of them [01:56.16] [01:57.01]Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky crying [02:02.66] [02:03.53]The torn dress [02:04.87]The shattered look was more than he could stand [02:09.02] [02:10.04]He reached above the fireplace [02:12.39]And took down his daddy's picture [02:15.39] [02:16.32]As his tears fell on his daddy's face [02:19.11]He heard these words again [02:21.84] [02:23.14]"Promise me Son not to do the things I've done [02:28.31]Walk away from trouble if you can [02:32.71] [02:33.58]It won't mean you're weak [02:35.47]If you turn the other cheek [02:38.48]I hope you're old enough to understand [02:43.65]Son you don't have to fight to be a man" [02:47.88] [02:49.03]The Gatlin boys just laughed at him [02:51.58]When he walked into the bar room [02:54.77] [02:55.75]One of them got up [02:57.62]And met him half way cross the floor [03:01.15] [03:02.16]When Tommy turned around they said [03:04.50]"Hey look Old Yellow's leaving" [03:07.25] [03:08.73]But you could've heard a pin drop [03:10.69]When Tommy stopped and locked the door [03:13.79] [03:15.27]Twenty years of crawling [03:17.50]Were bottled up inside him [03:20.92] [03:21.77]He wasn't holding nothing back [03:24.29]He let 'em have it all [03:26.91] [03:28.06]When Tommy left the bar room [03:30.50]Not a Gatlin boy was standing [03:33.59] [03:34.41]He said "This one's for Becky [03:37.02]As he watched the last one fall [03:39.77]An I heard him say [03:41.09]"I promised you Dad [03:43.27]Not to do the things you've done [03:46.23]I walk away from trouble when I can [03:51.54]Now please don't think I'm weak [03:53.53]I didn't turn the other cheek [03:56.72]And Papa I should hope you understand [04:01.96]Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man" [04:06.20] [04:07.49]Everyone considered him the coward of the county