Coward of the countyKenny Rogers

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
It won't mean you're weak
If you turn the other cheek
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
And 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
And took down his daddy's picture
As his tears fell on his daddy's face
He heard these words again(*)

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
When Tommy turned around, they said
"Hey look! old yeller's leaving"
But you could've heard a pin drop
When Tommy stopped and locked the door

Twenty years of crawling were bottled up inside him
He wasn't holding nothing back
He let'em have it all
When 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
And 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
And papa, I should hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man"

Everyone unconsidered him the coward of the county

郡里的懦夫　肯尼罗杰斯

大家都认为他是郡里的懦夫
他也从来没有机会证明郡里的人们是错的
他母亲将他取名为" 汤米 "
但村民都叫他"胆小鬼"
但有些事让我觉得他们都误解了汤米

他的父亲死在狱中的时候，他才十岁大
后来，由我照顾汤米
因为他是我哥哥的儿子
我依然记得哥哥临终前对汤米说的话：
「孩子，我就快死了
但你的人生才刚开始」

「答应我，孩子！不要步入我的后尘
尽可能的远离是非
那并非表示你懦弱
如果你把另一边脸颊转向对方
我希望你年纪够大，能了解这些话
孩子，你不必靠打架来证明你是男人」

每个人都有心爱的人
汤米的爱人是贝琪
在她怀里，他不需要证明自己是男人
有一天，他正在工作
盖特林村的男孩前来叫阵
他们轮流上了贝琪
一伙共有三个人

汤米打开门，看见哭泣的贝琪
被撕破的衣服、憔悴的容颜使他再也按捺不住
他爬到壁炉上面
取下父亲的遗照
当他的眼泪滴落在父亲的脸上
他又听到了父亲的遗言........

盖特林村的男孩嘲笑着他
当他走进酒吧的时候
其中一个站了起来，走到酒吧中央向他挑衅
当汤米转身走开，他们说着：
「看吧！胆小鬼又要溜了。」
当汤米停下脚步，把门锁上
酒吧里静得听的到针掉在地上的声音

二十年来的屈辱积存在他心里
他已经毫无顾忌
一股脑儿全都发泄出来
当汤米离开酒吧时
盖特林村的男孩全都躺平
他说着：「这一拳是为贝琪打的！」
当他看着最后一个倒下时
我听到他说：

「我答应过你，爹地
不会步入你的后尘
我尽可能的远离是非之地
如今，请别认为我无能
我没有把另一边脸颊转向敌人
爸爸，但愿你能了解
如果你是男人，有时候就得挺身奋战！」

再也没有人认为他是郡里的懦夫