Everyone considered him the coward of the county
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
His mama named him Tommy but folks just called him yellow
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 just begun
Promise me son not to do the things I've done
Walk away from trouble if you can
Now it don't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand
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 Gatlin Boys came calling
They took turns at Becky there were 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 don't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek
I hope you're old enough to understand
You don't have to fight to be a man
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom
One of the got up and hit him halfway cross the floor
Tommy turned around they said hey look ole Yellow's leaving
But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped
and locked the door
Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him
He wasn't holding nothing back he let 'em have it all
When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin 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 Dad not to do the things you've done
I'll walk away from trouble if I can
Now Please don't think I'm weak I couldn't turn the other cheek
Papa I sure hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man
Everyone considered him the coward of the county