Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers - Coward of The County guitar chord

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Date: Sun, 02 Oct 1994 12:35:15 -0400 (EDT)

From: Alex Rudd

"Coward of the County" - by Kenny Rogers (1979)

Words and Music by Roger Bowling & Billy Edd Wheeler

SIMPed by Alex Rudd - ahrjj@cunyvm.cuny.edu

Chords:

A D E E7

E ---0------2------0------0-----

B ---2------3------0------3-----

G ---2------2------1------1-----

D ---2------0------2------2-----

A ---0-------------2------2-----

E -----------------0------0-----

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.

From: raybailey@mistral.co.uk (Raymond Bailey)

Subject: CRD: C&W Coward Of The County

Date: Sat, 07 Oct 1995 04:51:14 GMT

COWARD OF THE COUNTY

|C | |F |C |

Ev'ry one con-sidered him the coward of the county

| | | |G |

He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong

|C | |F |C |

His momma named him Tommy the folks just called him yellow

| | | G7 |C |

Something always told me they were readin' Tommy wrong

| | |F |C |

He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison

| | | |G |

I looked after Tommy 'cos he was my brothers son

|C | |F |C |

I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy

| | | G7 |C |

Son my life is over but yours has just beg-un

|C | G7 C |F |C |

Promise me son not to do the things I've done

|F |C |G |

walk away from trouble if you can

|C | G7 C |F |C

Now it won't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek

|F |G

I hope your old enough to under-stand

|Dm7 |G7 |C |

you don't have to fight to be a man

|D | |G |D

There's someone for every one and Tommys love was Becky

| | | |A |

In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man

|D | |G |D |

One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'

| | | |A7 |D

They took turns at Becky There was three of them

| | |G |D |

Tommy open up the door and saw his Becky cryin'

| | | |A |

The torn dress the shattered look was more than he could stand

|D | |G |D |

He reached above the fire place and took down his daddys picture

| | | A |D

as the tears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-gain

| | A D |G |

Promise me son not to do the things I've done

| |D |

walk away from trouble if you can

| | A D |G |

Now it don't mean your weak if you turn the other cheek

|D |G |A |

I hope your old en-ough to understand

| | A7 |D

Son you don't have to fight to be a man

|D | |C |D

The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room

| | | | |

one of them got up and met him half way 'cross the floor

|D | |G |D |

when Tommy turned around they said Hey look ol' Yellows leaving

| A7

But you could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the

door

|D | |G |D |

Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up in-side him

| | | |A |

he wasn't holdin' nothin' back he let 'em have it all

|D | |G |D |

when Tommy left the Bar room not a Gatlin boy was standin'

| |A7

He said this one's for Becky as he watched the last one fall

And I heard him say.

|D | A7 D |G |D

I promised you Dad not to do the things you done

|G |D |A7

I walk away from trouble when I can

|D | A7 D |G |D |

now please don't think I'm weak I did-n't turn the other cheek

| |G |A |A7 |

and Popa I sure hope you understand some-times you've gotta fight

|D |

when your a man

| | |G |D

Every one considered him the coward of the county

Ray From Sussex England.

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