E| v'ry one con-s | | idered him the co ward of the c| ounty
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He n | | | | ever stood one single time to prove the county wr ong
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His m| omma named him T | | ommy the fo lks just called him y| ellow
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S | | | omething always told me they were readin' Tommy w| rong
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H | | | e was only ten years old when his da ddy died in p| rison
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I | | | | looked after Tommy 'cos he was my brothers so n
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I s| till recall the f | | inal words my br other said to T| ommy
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S | | | on my life is over but yours has j ust beg-u| n
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P| romise me son | not t o do | the things I've d| one
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w| alk away from t| rouble if you c| an
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Now i| t won't mean your wea | k if yo u turn| the other ch| eek
I hope your old enou| gh to under-s |G tand
y| ou don't have to figh| t to be a ma| n
|
There's s| omeone for e | | very one and To mmys love was B| ecky
I | | | | n her arms he didn't have to prove he was a ma n
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One d| ay while he was w | | orkin'the Gat lin boys came ca| llin'
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T | | | | hey took turns at Becky There was three o f them
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T | | | ommy open up the door and sa w his Becky c| ryin'
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The t | | | | orn dress the shattered look was more than he could s tand
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He r| eached above the f | | ire place and took do wn his daddys p| icture
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as the t | | | ears fell on his Daddys face he heard these words a-g| ain
P | | romise me son n ot t o do | the things I've done
|
w | | alk away from tr ouble if you can
|
Now i | | t don't mean your weak i f yo u turn t| he other cheek
|
I h| ope your old en-oug| h to understand
| |
Son y | | ou don't have to fight to be | a man
The G| atlin boys just l | | aughed at him when he wa lked into the b| ar room
| | | | |
one of them got up and met him half way 'cross the floor
when T| ommy turned around | | they said Hey lo ok ol'Yellows le| aving
|
But y | ou could-a heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door
T| wenty years of c | | rawlin'was bot tled up in-si| de him
|
he w | | | | asn't holdin'nothin'back he let 'em have it all
|
when T| ommy left the Bar r | | oom not a Ga tlin boy was standi| n'
|
He s | | aid this one's for Becky as he watched the la st one fall
And I heard him say.
I p| romised you Dad | n ot to do t| he things you done
|
I w| alk away from t| rouble when I can
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now p| lease don't think I'm weak | I d id-n' t turn t| he other cheek
| |
and P | | opa I sure hope y ou understa| nd some-t| imes you've gotta fight
|
when your a m| an
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E | | | very one considered him the co ward of the c| ounty