| Ev’ryone considered him the coward of the county. |
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He’d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong. |
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His mama named him Tommy, the folks just called him yellow, |
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but something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong. |
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He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison. |
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I looked after Tommy ’cause he was my brother’s son. |
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I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy: |
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„Son, my life is over, but yours is just begun. |
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Promise me, son, not to do the things I’ve done. |
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Walk away from trouble if you can. |
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It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek. |
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I hope you’re old enough to understand: |
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Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.“ |
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There’s someone for ev’ryone and Tommy’s love was Becky. |
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In her arms he didn’t have to prove he was a man. |
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One day while he was workin’ the Gatlin boys came callin’. |
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They took turns at Becky.... There was three of them! |
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Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin’. |
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The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand. |
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He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy’s picture. |
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As his tears fell on his daddy’s face, he heard these words again: |
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„Promise me, son, not to do the things I’ve done. |
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Walk away from trouble if you can. |
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It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek. |
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I hope you’re old enough to understand: |
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Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man.“ |
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The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom. |
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One of them got up and met him halfway ’cross the floor. |
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When Tommy turned around they said, „Hey look! ol’ yellow’s leavin’.“ |
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But you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and blocked the door. |
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Twenty years of crawlin’ was bottled up inside him. |
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He wasn’t holdin’ nothin’ back; he let ’em have it all. |
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When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin’. |
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He said, „This one’s for Becky,“ as he watched the last one fall. |
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„I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you done. |
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I walk away from trouble when I can. |
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Now please don’t think I’m weak, I didn’t turn the other cheek, |
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and Papa, I sure hope you understand: |
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Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.“ |
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Ev’ryone considered him the coward of the county. |
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