David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly in the blues style, before transitioning to country music, becoming a major part of the 1970s outlaw country scene. His biggest hits were "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile", "The Ride", "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", "She Used to Love Me a Lot", and "Longhaired Redneck". His most popular songs performed by others are the number-one hits "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)" sung by Tanya Tucker and Johnny Paycheck's rendition of "Take This Job and Shove It". The latter inspired the movie of the same name.

Coe's rebellious attitude, wild image, and unconventional lifestyle set him apart from other country performers, both winning him legions of fans and hindering his mainstream success by alienating the music industry establishment. Coe continues to be a popular performer on the country circuit.

Coe was born in Akron, Ohio. His favorite singer as a child was Johnny Cash. After being sent to the Starr Commonwealth For Boys reform school at the age of nine, he spent much of the next 20 years in correctional facilities, including three years at the Ohio Penitentiary. Coe claimed he received encouragement to begin writing songs from Screamin' Jay Hawkins, with whom he had spent time in prison.

After concluding another prison term in 1967, Coe embarked on a music career in Nashville, living in a hearse which he parked in front of the Ryman Auditorium while he performed on the street. He caught the attention of Shelby Singleton, owner of the independent record label Plantation Records and signed a contract with his label.

He is the father of Tyler Mahan Coe, who created the country music podcast Cocaine & Rhinestones. He has a daughter, Shelli Coe Mackie, and is father-in-law to the late Michael Mackie, formerly of Texas band 'Thunderosa'.

Coe's musical style derives from blues, rock, and country music traditions. His vocal style is described as a 'throaty baritone'. His lyrical content is often humorous or comedic, with William Ruhlmann describing him as a 'near-parody of a country singer'. Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes Coe as "a great, unashamed country singer, singing the purest honky-tonk and hardest country of his era […] he may not be the most original outlaw, but there is none more outlaw than him".

Coe's lyrics frequently include references to alcohol and drug use, and are often boisterous and cocky. Coe's debut album Penitentiary Blues was described as "voodoo blues" and "redneck music" by Allmusic's Thom Jurek. It focused on themes such as working for the first time, blood tests from veins used to inject heroin, prison time, hoodoo imagery, and death. The album's influences included Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Tony Joe White. Coe later explained to Kristofer Engelhardt of Review: "I didn't really care for some of the country music until people like Kris Kristofferson and some of those people started writing songs. They had a little more to say than just, 'Oh baby I miss you', or whatever. I don't do anything halfway. Once I got into country music, I went back and researched it, and learned everything there was to know about it. I could do impersonations of Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, just about anybody. I knew just about all there was to know about country music."

Coe's first country album, The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy, has been described as alt-country, 'pre-punk' and "a hillbilly version of Marc Bolan's glitz and glitter". Credited influences on the album include Merle Haggard. In his early career, Coe was known for his unpredictable live performances, in which he would ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle onto the stage and curse at his audience. Coe has also performed in a rhinestone suit and a mask which resembled that of the Lone Ranger, calling himself the 'Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy'.

The album Rebel Meets Rebel featured a song, "Cherokee Cry", which criticizes the United States government's treatment of Native Americans. When asked why he did not write more political songs, Coe replied, "I live in my own world, not thee world. I just write songs about what affects me in everyday life. At one point I wrote a song that was sort of a protest about when they were talking about drafting women into the military. It was about my son making it past the draft, but my daughter didn't. And I've done Farm Aid."

In his review of Coe's 1987 album A Matter of Life...and Death, Allmusic's Thom Jurek wrote, "Coe may have had some hits, but it is records like this that make one wonder if there was not a conspiracy to marginalize him and make him fail. Coe is a brilliant songwriter well into the 21st century, and deserves to be lauded along with the likes of [Willie] Nelson and [Waylon] Jennings and Kristofferson and Newbury – and even Cash."

04..Pussy Whipped Again
David Allan Coe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pussy whipped again
A Fine mess I found myself in
Tryin' to be her buddy
Trying to make a woman my friend...

Pussy whipped again
Blame it on the whiskey and gin
Oh Lord, I'm pussy whipped again.

I took my male ego
And placed it under lock and key
I swore no God damn woman
Would ever make a fool of me.

Then I met this barmaid
And my whole damn world caved in
Heaven knows when she sucked my toes
I was pussy whipped again

Pussy whipped again
A fine mess I got myself in
Tryin' to be a buddy
Trying to make a woman my friend
Pussy whipped again
Blame it on the whiskey and gin
Oh Lord, pussy whipped again.

I knew my chauvenistic ways
Would someday make her change her mind
And sure enough she left me
And just in the nick of time

Her girlfriend took me around the world
To places that I've never been
She called my bluff
And sure enough
I was pussy whipped again

Pussy whipped again
A fine mess I got myself in
Tryin' to be her buddy
Trying to make a woman my friend
Pussy whipped again
Blame it on the whiskey and gin
Oh Lord, pussy whipped again.

Play it on time...

Pussy whipped again
A fine mess I got myself in
Tryin' to be a buddy
Trying to make a woman my friend
Pussy whipped again
Blame it on the whiskey and gin
Oh Lord, pussy whipped again.

Overall Meaning

The song "Pussy Whipped Again" by David Allan Coe is about a man who has always been confident about his strength as a male and has always been committed to the idea that no woman would ever control or make a fool of him. However, he finds himself in a fine mess when he meets a barmaid who sucks his toes, leaving him under her control. He tries to be her friend, but she ends up leaving him after realizing that he will never change his chauvinistic ways. He blames his situation on the whiskey and gin that led him to become emotionally weak and unable to resist her.

The lyrics in the first and second verses of the song appear to suggest that the man is secretly yearning for acceptance and love from the woman he is trying to be friends with. Despite his initial resistance, he cannot help but be viewed as helpless and controlled when she sucks his toes. The third verse reflects a reality check, showing that he realized he might be losing control. He couldn't resist the girlfriend of the barmaid who took him out of his comfort zone to places he had never been before. The final verse ends with the man admitting that he is back to being at the mercy of women, which he blames on the whiskey and gin.

Line by Line Meaning

Pussy whipped again
Referring to the feeling of being powerless in front of a woman, as if one's masculinity is being threatened.

A Fine mess I found myself in
Acknowledging the situation that the singer is in, which is a chaotic one.

Tryin' to be her buddy
Describing the singer's attempt to create a non-romantic relationship with the woman.

Trying to make a woman my friend...
Further emphasizing the artist's attempts to be friends with the woman.

blame it on the whiskey and gin
Offering an excuse for the artist's situation, as if the artist's drunkenness is the only way for him to be in this situation.

Oh Lord, I'm pussy whipped again.
A plea to a higher power, indicating that the singer is at a loss and doesn't know what to do.

I took my male ego
Describing the singer's macho identity that is being overpowered.

And placed it under lock and key
Implying that the artist is actively suppressing his ego, but is only making the situation worse.

I swore no God damn woman
Demonstrating the artist's anger and frustration towards women.

would ever make a fool of me.
Indicating that the artist feels foolish and powerless around women.

Then I met this barmaid
Introducing the woman that the singer meets, who will cause him to become 'pussy whipped'.

and my whole damn world caved in
Illustrating how the artist's world becomes chaotic and he begins to lose control.

Heaven knows when she sucked my toes
Describing an intimate moment between the singer and the barmaid, which leads to his infatuation with her.

Pussy whipped again
Reiterating the singer's powerlessness in front of women.

I knew my chauvenistic ways
Acknowledging the singer's sexist behaviors.

would someday make her change her mind
Implying that the woman will get fed up with the artist's behavior and leave him.

And sure enough she left me
Confirming the artist's fear of abandonment and his pattern of failed relationships with women.

And just in the nick of time
Indicating that the singer got lucky for not being with this particular woman any longer.

Her girlfriend took me around the world
Describing how the woman's friend takes the singer traveling, illustrating that the he is still under the spell of these women.

To places that I've never been
Highlighting the fact that the artist is now in new, uncharted territory due to his encounters with these women.

She called my bluff
Implying that the woman's friend saw through the artist's act, and made him feel exposed and vulnerable.

And sure enough, I was pussy whipped again
Reiterating the artist's powerlessness and how he falls into familiar patterns with women.

Play it on time...
An outro to the song.

Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: DAVID ALLAN Coe

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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