All lyrics are property and copyright of their owners. In his father’s last words asks Tommy to stay out of trouble, and to turn the other cheek instead of fighting. When Tommy grew up, he fell in love with a girl named Becky. The film starred Rogers as Tommy's uncle, Reverend Matthew Spencer (who sang the song in the film), and featured Fredric Lehne as the troubled Tommy Spencer; Largo Woodruff as Becky, the object of Tommy's affection; and William Schreiner as James Joseph "Jimmy Joe" Gatlin, the lead bully in the Gatlin family clan. He remade his career, and was one of the most successful cross-over artists of all time. ( Log Out /  It tells a familiar story of a cowboy who was pushed too far, in this scenario, by the sexual assault of his girl. Artists like Dolly Parton (“9 to 5”) and the Charlie Daniels Band (“In America”) were getting lots of airplay outside of the country format, as the genre surged in popularity. Realizing he cannot ignore his predicament, Tommy goes to the barroom where the Gatlins hang out, but they only laugh at him when he walks in. Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song with several lyric changes for their 1981 album Urban Chipmunk . Controversy regarding "The Gatlin Boys" lyric. Controversy regarding "The Gatlin Boys" lyric, Australian-charts.com – Kenny Rogers – Coward of the County", Austriancharts.at – Kenny Rogers – Coward of the County", Charts.nz – Kenny Rogers – Coward of the County", Swisscharts.com – Kenny Rogers – Coward of the County", "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Hot Country Songs)", "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Adult Contemporary)", "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1980", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKO5_MFl8h4, Daytime Friends – The Very Best of Kenny Rogers, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True to You). He said 'fuck you.' The song is about a man's nephew who is a reputed coward, but finally takes a stand for his lover. They started thinking about why this guy would be labeled as such, and came up with the story of his dad dying in prison and telling him, “You don’t have to fight to be a man.”, “We were trying to figure out how Tommy, the son, would have a change of heart,” said Wheeler. Like Kenny Rogers’ hit “The Gambler,” this song tells a compelling story, and also like “The Gambler,” it was made into a TV movie. Full Circle is an album released by country singer Dottie West in 1982.

Not only that, Larry Gatlin had dated a girl named Becky, which was the name of Tommy's girlfriend in the song. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

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His conclusion: Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man. I said 'Let me tell you something, hoss. “I think they could have shown a little good taste and used somebody else’s name.”. 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.
Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. In America, Rogers had his first #1 on the Hot 100 with “Lady” later in 1980. For those of you who know the song, you will see that the plot line of this story closely follows the story behind the song. Don’t pretend it doesn’t put a lump in your throat, a tremble in your lip. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and number 2 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. Add some and they will appear here. The song reached No. He decided to catch up with the Gatlin boys and found them in an entertainment joint where he beat them up mercilessly. Jamaican dancehall musician Sister Nancy performed a version on her 1982 album "One, Two" as "Coward of the Country [sic]." Offers Accepted! Tommy then reflects on his dead father's plea, addressing him respectfully that while he did his best to avoid trouble, he hopes he understands that "sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man. “Coward Of The County” was co-written by Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler. Eighteen years after it first blared on college radios, accompanied by a whip-smart and witty music video courtesy of then-rising director Michel Gondry on heavy rotation on MTV, ‘Coward of the County’ remains one of The Kenny Roger’s Big Band and Travelling Medicine Show’s’ best songs – an emotional punk-pop pile-driver like very few others. ", The lyrics to "Heartbreak Hotel" were written by a steel guitar player who was once a dishwasher repairman. In real life, Larry, Steve and Rudy Gatlin were a popular trio who performed as "Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers." "25 or 6 to 4" to "Semi-Charmed Life" - see if you can spot the songs that are really about drugs. Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Tommy returns home and finds Becky crying and her dress torn. The film has a typical cartoon fight scene in a saloon, which resulted for the building to be demolished. "Coward of the County" is a song written by Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler, and recorded by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. It was released in October 1999 as the third single from his album She Rides Wild Horses. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The villains were tried and convicted of rape in the film, although this is only a passing reference; the song is somewhat ambiguous and might have ended in a triple revenge killing, so could be classed as a murder ballad.

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs. In his final words to Tommy, his father tells him that to "turn the other cheek" isn't altogether a sign of weakness, and implores him to promise "not to do the things I've done; walk away from trouble if you can" (implying that not "turning the other cheek" was what may have landed Tommy's father in prison). They set out to write a story song, and Wheeler had an idea for an underdog tale. History: “Coward Of The County” is a ballad recorded by Kenny Rogers.The reason I said ‘recorded’ is because the song was actually WRITTEN by Roger Bowling and Billy Ed Wheeler, and sung by Kenny Rogers.The song was released as the second single from his album titled “Kenny”, and was released on 12th November 1989. That got too complicated, so Bowling suggested that Tommy take down his father’s picture from the mantle to communicate with him. Enjoy as Kenny Rogers sing the song with his heart in the video below and don’t forget to share this with other country fans. Song meanings ©2003-2020 lyricinterpretations.com. He later apologized to his father for turning violent and said that the he was actually forced to do it based in the circumstances. All lyrics provided for educational purposes only. This was a huge hit for Rogers, but not his first to crossover to the pop charts. Kenny Rogers acted in the film and sang. Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man. Has only been played once and then immediately put back into its casing and sat on a temperature controlled room shelf since. I said, 'Let me tell you something, hoss. Once Upon a Christmas is a collaborative studio album by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs, Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary, Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles, RPM Adult Contemporary number-one singles, Song recordings produced by Larry Butler (producer), https://culture.fandom.com/wiki/Coward_of_the_County?oldid=4912. The two got along very well until one day when Becky was physically gang assaulted by a group of Gatlin boys. It includes the singles "Coward of the County" and "You Decorated My Life.". When Tommy grew up, he fell in love with a girl named Becky. 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". However he actually turned to lock the door behind him ("you coulda heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door") and trap the Gatlin boys inside with him. (function() { The songwriters made the dubious claim that the name was chosen because they “liked the sound of it,” and that it had nothing to do with the actual Gatlin brothers.