Capo 3rd Fret
(In a moderate country half-time)
A D A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
E
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
A D A
His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow,
E A
but something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
A D A
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison.
E
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brother's son.
A D A
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
E A
"Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun.
A E A
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
D A E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A D A
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
D E
I hope you're old enough to understand:
E7 A
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
[Slide capo to 4th fret]
A D A
There's someone for ev'ryone and Tommy's love was Becky.
E
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
A D A
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.
E [Spoken] A
They took turns at Becky.... There was three of them!
A D A
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.
E
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
A D A
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
E A
As his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:
A E A
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.
D A E
Walk away from trouble if you can.
A D A
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.
D E
I hope you're old enough to understand:
E7 A
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
[Slide capo to 5th fret]
A D A
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom.
E
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.
A D A
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! ol' yellow's leavin'."
[Whole line spoken] E A
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door.
A D A
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
E
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
A D A
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
E A
He said, "This one's for Becky," as he watched the last one fall.
[Spoken]
And I heard him say,
A D A
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done.
E
I walk away from trouble when I can.
A D A
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
D E
and Papa, I sure hope you understand:
E7 A
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man."
A D [No chords] A
Ev'ryone considered him the coward of the county.
