About Coward of the County

"Coward of the County" is a song written by Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler, and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. The song was released in November 1979 as the second single from Rogers' multi-platinum album Kenny. It became a major crossover hit, topping the Billboard Country chart and reaching #3 on the Hot 100 chart; it also topped the Cash Box singles chart and was a Top 10 hit in numerous other countries worldwide topping the chart in Canada, the UK, and also in Ireland where it stayed at #1 for six consecutive weeks.

The narrator sings about his ward and nephew Tommy, a young man with a prominent reputation for never standing up for himself; his pacifism earned him the derisive nickname "Yellow" from others throughout the county, but the narrator hints that he always felt there was something about Tommy that others did not see. Tommy's non-violent attitude was greatly influenced by his father who died in prison when Tommy was ten years old; during his last visit his father, from his deathbed, pleads with Tommy to not make the same mistakes he made, telling him that "turning the other cheek" is not a sign of weakness, and advising him, "Son, you don't have to fight to be a man".