Everyone considered him a coward of the countyHe never stood one single time to prove the county wrongHis mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him YellowSomething always told me they were reading Tommy wrongHe was only ten years old when his daddy died in prisonI looked after Tommy, cause he was my brother's sonI still recall the final words my brother said to TommySon, my life is over, yours has just begunPromise me, son, not to do the things I've doneWalk away from trouble if you canNow it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheekI hope you're old enough to understandSon, you don't have to worry about meYou don't have to fight to be a manSomeone for everyone, Tommy's love was BeckyIn her arms he didn't have to prove he was a manOne day while he was working, Kaplan boys came callingThey took turns with Becky, there was three of themTommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryingThe torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could standHe reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's pictureAs his tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words againPromise me, son, not to do the things I've doneWalk away from trouble if you canNow it won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheekI hope you're old enough to understandSon, you don't have to fight to be a manKaplan boys just laughed at him when he walked into the ballroomOne of them got upAnd met him halfway across the floorWhen Tommy turned around they saidHey, look, old yellow is leavingBut you could have heard a pin dropWhen Tommy stopped and locked the doorTwenty years of crawling was bottled up inside himHe wasn't holding nothing backHe let them have it allWhen Tommy left the ballroomNot a Kaplan boy was standingHe said this once for BeckyAs he watched the last one fallAnd I heard him sayI promised your dad not to do the things you've doneI'll walk away in trouble when I canNow please don't think I'm weakI didn't turn the other cheekAnd Papa asked your home since высокalAnd you understandSometimes you gotta fightWhen you're a manEveryone considered himCoward of the county