Everyone considered him the coward of the county
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him Yellow
But something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison
I looked after Tommy, cause he was my brother's son
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy
Son, my life is over
But yours is mine
It's just begun
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
Walk away from trouble if you can
Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man
There's someone for everyone
And Tommy's love was Becky
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man
One day while he was working
The Gatling boys came calling
He took turns with Becky
And there was three of them
Tommy opened up the door
And saw his Becky crying
The torn dress, the shattered look
Was more than he could stand
He reached above the fireplace
And took down his daddy's picture
As his tears fell on his daddy's face
He heard these words again
Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done
Walk away from trouble if you can
Now it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man
The Gatling boys just laughed at him
When he walked into the bar room
One of them said, I'm sorry, I'm sorry



And got up and met him halfway across the floor
When Tommy turned around they said
Hey, look, old yellow's leaving
But you could have heard a pin drop
When Tommy stopped and locked the door
Twenty years of growling
Was bottled up inside him
He wasn't holding nothing back
He let him have it all
When Tommy left the bar room
Not a Gatling boy was standing
He said, this one's for Becky
As he watched the last one fall
And I heard him say
I promised you that
Not to do the things you've done
I'll walk away from trouble when I can
Now please don't think I'm weak
I didn't turn the other cheek
And I'll walk away from trouble when I can
Papa should hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
Everyone considered him
The coward of the county