Coward^{1 of the county2}Kenny 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^{3 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 recall4 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 shattered5 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 crawling6 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}

郡里的懦夫肯尼羅杰斯
大伙都覺得他是郡里的懦夫
他也從來沒機會證明郡里的大家是錯的
他媽媽將他起名字為 湯米
但村民都叫他膽小鬼
但有的事讓我感覺他們都誤解了湯米
他的爸爸死在獄中的時候，他才十歲大
后來，由我照顧湯米
由于他是我哥哥的兒子
我依舊記得哥哥臨終前對湯米說的話：
「孩子，我就快去世了
但你的生活才最初」
「答應我，孩子！不要步入我的后塵
盡量的離得遠遠的是非
那并不是表示你懦弱
假如你把另一邊臉頰轉向他們
我期望你年齡夠大，能知道這類話
孩子，你不必靠打架來證明你是男性」
每一個人都有心愛的人
湯米的愛人是貝琪
在她懷里，他無需證明自己是男性
有一天，他正在工作
蓋特林村的男生前來叫陣
他們輪流上了貝琪
一伙共有三個人
湯米打開門，看見哭泣的貝琪
被撕破的衣服、憔悴的容顏使他再也按捺不住
他爬到壁爐上面
拿下爸爸的遺照
當他的眼淚滴落在爸爸的臉上
他又聽到了爸爸的遺言........
蓋特林村的男生嘲笑著他
當他走進夜店的時候
其中一個站了起來，走到夜店中央向他挑釁
當湯米轉身走開，他們說著：
「看吧！膽小鬼又要溜了。」
當湯米停下腳步，把門鎖上
夜店里靜得聽的到針掉在地上的聲音
二十年來的屈辱積存在他心里
他已經毫無顧忌
一股腦兒全都發泄出來
當湯米離開夜店時
蓋特林村的男生全都躺平
他說著：「這一拳是為貝琪打的！」
當他看著最后一個倒下時
我聽到他說：
「我答應過你，爹地
不會步入你的后塵
我盡量的離得遠遠的是非之地
現在，請別覺得我無能
我沒把另一邊臉頰轉向敵人
父親，但愿你能知道
假如你是男性，有時就得挺身奮戰！」
再也無人覺得他是郡里的懦夫