Everyone considered him 
The coward of the county 
He'd 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 has 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
And I hope you're old enough to understand
Son, 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 
N'there was three of them
Tommy opened up the door 
And saw Becky crying
The torn dress, the shattered look 
Was more than he could stand
He reached above the fireplace 
Took down his daddy's picture
As his tears fell on his daddy's face 
I 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
And I hope you're old enough to understand
Son, 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 them got up 
And met him half way cross the floor
Tommy turned around they said 
Hey look, old yeller's leavin'
You could've 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
Tommy left the bar room 
Not a Gatlin boy was standing
He said, This one's for Becky
As he watched the last one fall 
N’ I heard him say

I promised you, Dad 
Not to do the things you've done
I walk away from trouble when I can
Now please don't think I'm weak 
I didn't turn the other cheek
Papa, I should hope you understand 
Sometimes you gotta fight 
When you're a man

Everyone considered him 
The coward of the county