Capo 3   
    
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.    
    

[Refrão]
    
A                       D                 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."   
       
     
    
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:    
    

[Refrão]
    
A                       D                  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,    
    
 
[Refrão]
   
A                            D                 A    
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you'd 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.