WARNING: ADULT CONTENT/LYRICS

So we might be onto something here. We've had our first official request for a lyric break down from Debbie over at Team Botanical. As we all were, as a child Debbie was blind to the darker side of my dear, sweet Kenny Rogers. She asked that "Coward of the County" be evaluated. Patrick again worked his magic.

Everyone considered him the coward of the county.
-honestly, i'm surprised i ever got past this. seems like a really weird thing for a community have have consensus on, no? was there a vote? was it a category for 'senior superlatives' in the yearbook? hopefully tommy won something offsetting, like 'best hair'.
He never stood one single time to prove the county wrong.
-how many opportunites were there? were there that many tests of courage? was this ancient greece? i don't think they had counties in greece.
His mama named him Tommy, the 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.
-gritty. at this point, the song is doing an excellent job of building street cred.
I looked after Tommy 'cause he was my brothers son.I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy:
"Son, my life is over, but yours is 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!"
-so....here is where i start to not get it. that's the advice?? i mean, i doubt tommy's dad was in prison long enough to die there...for fighting? how about "don't rob a bank", or "always check to see if the buyer is wearing a wire"?

There's someone for evr'yone and tommy's love is Becky.
-there's a pretty heavy implied insult in that-'even tommy can get a girl'. nice uncle.
In her arms he didn't have to prove he was a man.
-ummm...am i the only one thinking what i'm thinking here? let's move on: things are about to get ugly.
One day while he was workin' the Gatlin boys came callin'.
-wasn't there a country group called the gatlins? is this some sort of country music feud thing? that'd be cool.also, 'came callin' maybe the creepiest euphemism for ape-ray that i've ever heard. i'd love to know what i thought was going on here when i heard this song at eight years old.
They took turns at Becky... there was three of them!
-i doubt that exclamation point was in the original lyrics.
Tommy opened up the door and saw his Becky cryin'.The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand.
-the dress really sent him over the edge. again, am i the only one asking the question about tommy?
He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy's picture.
-becky's thinking, "little help over here?"
As the tears fell on his daddy's face, He heard these words again:
-ladies, help me out. you just got 'called on', boyfriend comes in and cries on his father's photo. he might have also been the most self-involved man in the county.

"Promise me, son, not to do the things I've done.Walk away from trouble if you can.Now 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!"
-getting more and more negative on tommy. did he really wonder if this is what his dad meant? "let the girl get called on, son. you can get her a new dress and you'll stay out of prison"
The Gatlin boys just laughed at him, when he walked into the barroom.
-"hey, guess what we just did!" very very rough crowd, these gatlins.
One of them got up and met him halfway 'cross the floor.When Tommy turned around they said, Hey look! ol yellows leavin'.But you coulda heard a pin drop when tommy stopped and locked the door.
-that's a fire hazard. just saying.
Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
When tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
He said, this ones for Becky, as he watched the last one fall.
-i would think that would be understood. "that was for stealing my lunch money in the fifth grade. i'll be back later to talk about becky's torn dress.
"Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him.
He wasn't holdin' nothin' back; he let 'em have it all.
When tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'.
He said, this ones for Becky, as he watched the last one fall.
And I heard him say,
-you heard him? where were you during all of this, you big chicken? definitely worst uncle in the county.
"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 sure hope you understand:Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man".
Evr'yone considered him the coward of the county.