I love this song, Kenny Rogers is such a wonderful storyteller through song. How he is not in the Country Music Hall of Fame is beyond me.
Anyways, this song has always confused me. I am not sure if Tommy fought the Gatlin boys fisticuff style or shot them down.
Evidence for fisticuffs: 1) "Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him." 2) The chorus' specifically states fighting
Evidence for shooting: 1) Fighting 3 at once is near impossible, especially one who has not fought his whole life. 2)At the end of the song Everyone still considered him the coward of the county 3) The fact his father died in prison measn he did something much worse than fight, which portends a similar ending for Tommy 4) OK I admit it, Wishful thinking; I want them Gatlin Boys to die
I love this song, Kenny Rogers is such a wonderful storyteller through song. How he is not in the Country Music Hall of Fame is beyond me. Anyways, this song has always confused me. I am not sure if Tommy fought the Gatlin boys fisticuff style or shot them down.
Evidence for fisticuffs: 1) "Twenty years of crawlin' was bottled up inside him." 2) The chorus' specifically states fighting
Evidence for shooting: 1) Fighting 3 at once is near impossible, especially one who has not fought his whole life. 2)At the end of the song Everyone still considered him the coward of the county 3) The fact his father died in prison measn he did something much worse than fight, which portends a similar ending for Tommy 4) OK I admit it, Wishful thinking; I want them Gatlin Boys to die
I believe that fisitcuffs makes more sense. Tommy did not want to end up like his father, but could not longer turn the other cheek.
I believe that fisitcuffs makes more sense. Tommy did not want to end up like his father, but could not longer turn the other cheek.
I think he got so angry that he locked the door, and went at them.
I think he got so angry that he locked the door, and went at them.
However "When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'" makes me want to rethink this
However "When Tommy left the barroom not a Gatlin boy was standin'" makes me want to rethink this