[Strophe]
   A                          D               A 
Everyone considered him the coward of the county 
                                                       E 
He'd never stood one single time to prove the county wrong. 
      A                         D                       A 
His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him yellow, 
                                     A7            E 
Something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong.
[Strophe]
 A                                    D             A 
He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison; 
                                                  E 
I took care of Tommy, 'cause he was my brother's son. 
    A                               D                A 
I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy, 
                             E 
"Son my life is over, but yours has just begun".
[Refrain]
   A                     D                   A 
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done 
 D               A             E 
Walk away from trouble if you can. 
  A                               D               A 
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek 
A                    D             E 
I hope you're old enough to understand, 
E7                                    A 
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
[Strophe]
  B                                 E                 B 
There's someone for everyone, and Tommy's love was Becky. 
                                             F# 
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man. 
 B                                  E                  B 
One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling 
                           F#                     B 
They took turns at Becky, (n' there was three of them).
[Strophe]
 B                             E            B 
Tommy opened up the door, and saw Becky crying. 
                                                           F# 
The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand. 
 B                                        E                  B 
He reached above the fireplace, and took down his daddy's picture. 
                                           F#7                  B 
As the tears fell on his daddy's face, he heard these words again:
[Refrain]
   B                     E                   B 
"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done 
 E               B             F# 
Walk away from trouble if you can. 
  B                               E               B 
It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek 
B                    E             F# 
I hope you're old enough to understand, 
F#7                                    B 
Son, you don't have to fight to be a man."
[Strophe]
 C                                            F                 C 
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the barroom; 
                                                   G 
One of them got up and met him half way cross the floor. 
    C                                  F                        C 
When Tommy turned around they said, "Hey look! old yeller's leaving," 
                                               G                     C 
But you could've heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door.
[Strophe]
 C                               F               C 
Twenty years of crawling were bottled up inside him. 
                                                   G 
He wasn't holding nothing back - he let 'em have it all. 
  C                                 F                   C 
When Tommy left the bar room, not a Gatlin boy was standing. 
                                      G7                   C 
He said, "This one's for Becky, as he watched the last one fall. (And I heard him say,)
[Refrain]
 C                           F                     C 
"I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done 
F                  C            G 
I walk away from trouble when I can 
 C                                         F               C 
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek, 
 C                  F             G 
And papa, I should hope you understand  
 G7                                      C 
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man".  
                            F                  C 
Everyone considered him the coward of the county.