Ev ’ry one con sid ered him the (F)cow ard of the coun ty.

He’d nev er stood one sin gle time to prove the coun ty wrong.

His (C)ma ma named him Tom my, the (F)folks just called him (C)Yel low.

But some thing al ways told me they were (G)read in’ Tom my wrong.

He was on ly ten years old when his (F)dad dy died in (C)pris on.

I looked af ter Tom my ’cause he was my broth er’s son.

I (C)still re call the fi nal words my (F)broth er said to (C)Tom my,

“Son, my life is o ver, but (G)yours is just be gun.

Prom ise me, son, not to do the things I’ve (C)done.

(F)Walk a way from (C)trou ble if you can.

(C)It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the oth er cheek.

I hope you’re old e (F)nough to un der (G)stand:

Son, (G7)you don’t have to fight to be a man.”

There’s (Db)some one for ev ’ry one and (Gb)Tom my’s love was (Db)Beck y.

In her arms he did n’t have to prove he was a man.

One (Db)day while he was work in’ the (Gb)Gat lin boys came (Db)call in’.

They took turns at Beck y.

Tom my o pened up the door and (Gb)saw his Beck y (Db)cry in’.

The torn dress, the shat tered look was more than he could (Ab)stand.

He (Db)reached a bove the fire place and took (Gb)down his dad dy’s (Db)pic ture.

As his tears fell on his dad dy’s face, he (Ab)heard these words a gain:

“Prom ise me, son, not to do the things I’ve (Db)done.

(Gb)Walk a way from (Db)trou ble if you can.

(Db)It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the oth er cheek.

I hope you’re old e (Gb)nough to un der stand:

Son, (Ab7)you don’t have to fight to be a man.”

The (D)Gat lin boys just laughed at him when he (G)walked in to the bar room.

One of them got up and met him half way ’cross the floor.

When (D)Tom my turned a round they said, “Hey (G)look!

Ol’ Yel low’s (D)leav in’.”

Twen ty years of crawl in’ was (G)bot tled up in (D)side him.

He was n’t hold in’ noth in’ back he let ’em have it all.

When (D)Tom my left the bar room not a (G)Gat lin boy was (D)stand in’.

He said, “This one’s for Beck y,” as he (A)watched the last one (D)fall.

“I prom ised you, Dad, not to do the things you (D)done.

I (G)walk a way from (D)trou ble when I can.

Now (D)please don’t think I’m weak, I did n’t turn the oth er cheek.

And, Pop pa, I sure (G)hope you un der stand:

Some (A7)times you got ta fight when you’re a man.”

Ev ’ry one con sid ered him the (G)cow ard of the (CN.C.)coun ty.