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."
Ain
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Donald Mahan Coe Jr
My daddy passed away on August the ninth, seven years ago
This is a song about my father
Well the old man was covered with tattoos and scars
He got some in prison and others in bars
The rest he got workin' on old junk cars in the daytime
Now they looked like tombstones in our yard
And I never seen him when he wasn't tired and mean
Well he sold used parts to make ends meet
Covered with grease from his head to his feet
Cussin' the sweat and the Texas heat and mosquiters
And the neighbors said we lived like hicks
But they brung their cars for my pa to fix anyhow
Well he was veteran-proud tried and true
He'd fought 'til his heart was black and blue
And I don't know how he'd made it through the hard times
He bought our house on the GI Bill
But it wasn't worth all he had to kill to get it
He drank Pearl in a can and Jack Daniels black
Chewed tobacco from a mail pouch sack
And he had an old dog that was trained to attack sometimes
Why he'd get drunk and mean as a rattlesnake
And there wasn't too much that he would take from a stranger
There were thirteen kids and a bunch of dogs
A house full of chickens and a yard full of hogs
I spent the summertime cuttin' up logs for the winter
Tryin' like the devil to find the Lord
Workin' like a slave for my room and board
Coal-burin' stoves no natural gas
If that ain't country, I'll kiss your ass
If that ain't country, it'll hairlip the pope
If that ain't country, it's a damn good joke
I've been on the Grand Ole Opry and I know Johnny Cash
And if he ain't country, I'll kiss your ass
Well my mama sold eggs at a grocery store
And my oldest sister was a first-rate whore
My daddy said she couldn't come home anymore and he meant it
Now Mama she was old far beyond her time
And her hair was grey and I've seen her cryin'
She was talkin' 'bout junior, said he was dyin' in prison
Why she told all the neighbors he was off to the war
He was fightin' for courage, he was good to the core and she was proud
Now our house was a graveyard for automobiles
And around the porch was a bunch of old wheels
And some used Harley Davidson parts that we sold for cash
There was fifty holes in an old tin roof
Me and my family was livin' proof
And everybody called me old poor white trash
And if that ain't country, I'll kiss your ass
If that ain't country, it'll hairlip the pope
If that ain't country, it's a damn good joke
I've been on the Grand Ole Opry and I know Johnny Cash, mmm
And if he ain't country, I'll kiss your ass
And I'm dreamin' tonight of my blue eyes
Concernin' the grey speckled bird
I didn't know God made honky tonk angels
And went back to the wild side of life
The song "If That Ain't Country" by David Allan Coe is a tribute to his father, Donald Mahan Coe Jr. The song begins by recounting the physical appearance of his father, who was covered in tattoos and scars obtained both in prison and in bars, and from working on old cars. David then speaks of how this rugged appearance deceived outsiders, who looked down on them, calling them "hicks." Despite the outside judgment, David's father, a veteran, was proud of his service, and he worked tirelessly to provide for his thirteen children and large household of animals. David also sings about the struggles they faced without modern conveniences, living with coal-burning stoves, a yard full of animals, and a house that was a graveyard for automobiles. Despite these hardships, David praises his family and shares his pride in his country roots.
The song is known for its authentic country themes, its raw, stripped-down honesty about poverty and hardship, and its unapologetic celebration of the country way of life. David Allan Coe, who wrote the song, was a prominent figure in the outlaw country music scene of the 1970s and 1980s, and this song helped to establish him as one of country's most authentic voices.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the old man was covered with tattoos and scars
My father had tattoos and scars on his body that he got in prison or bars and while working on old junk cars during the day
They looked like tombstones in our yard
The tattoos on my father's body looked like tombstones in our yard
And I never seen him when he wasn't tired and mean
I have never seen my father not being tired or mean while he sold car parts to make ends meet and worked in the Texas heat while dealing with mosquitos
But they brung their cars for my pa to fix anyhow
Despite being judged by our neighbors, they still brought their cars to my father to fix
Well he was veteran-proud tried and true
My father was proud of having served in the military
And I don't know how he'd made it through the hard times
I'm not sure how my father made it through the hard times
Why he'd get drunk and mean as a rattlesnake
My father would get drunk and mean like a rattlesnake
There were thirteen kids and a bunch of dogs
We had thirteen kids and lots of dogs in our household
Tryin' like the devil to find the Lord
I was struggling to find my faith and seeking divine intervention
Coal-burin' stoves no natural gas
We used coal-burning stoves since we didn't have access to natural gas
If that ain't country, I'll kiss your ass
If our way of living isn't considered country, I'll do something ridiculous like kissing your ass
Well my mama sold eggs at a grocery store
My mother sold eggs at a grocery store to support our family
And my oldest sister was a first-rate whore
My eldest sister was a prostitute
My daddy said she couldn't come home anymore and he meant it
My father disowned my sister and refused to allow her to come home
Now Mama she was old far beyond her time
My mother aged well beyond her years
She was talkin' 'bout junior, said he was dyin' in prison
My mother was discussing my brother, who was dying in prison
Why she told all the neighbors he was off to the war
To avoid the stigma of having a family member in prison, my mother lied and said my brother was serving in the war
Now our house was a graveyard for automobiles
Our house had many old and broken-down cars around it
And everybody called me old poor white trash
People referred to me as poor white trash
And if that ain't country, I'll kiss your ass
If living in poverty and with less-than-ideal circumstances isn't what you consider country, I'll do something ridiculous like kissing your ass
And I'm dreamin' tonight of my blue eyes
I am dreaming of my significant other, who has blue eyes
Concernin' the grey speckled bird
I'm thinking about a specific grey speckled bird
I didn't know God made honky tonk angels
I didn't know there were women who loved honky tonk music as much as I do
And went back to the wild side of life
I went back to the wilder, more unstructured side of life
Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: Deborah Coe, Fred Spears
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dr. Craphead
on Damn I Wish I Was a Nigger
The song is not by David Allan Coe
Niggerhatingme
on Nigger Hatin Me
I like sugar and I like tea
But I don't like niggers, no sir-e
There are two lone things that'll make me puke
That's a hog eating slop and a big black spook
You know it, 'cuz I show it
Like a barnyard rooster I crow it
And the NAACP would sure like to get
A hold of nigger hatin' me.
Roses are red and violets are blue
Niggers are black and you know that's true
But they don't mind 'cuz what the heck
You gotta' be black to get a welfare check.
.And I'm broke, no joke. I ain't got a nickle
For a coat and I ain't black you see, so Uncle
Sam won't help poor nigger hatin' me.
Jigga-boo Jigga-boo where are you? I was
Here on the woodpile watching you. Jigga-boo
Jigga-boo come outdoors. No! I'sa scared of the
White man way down south.
You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black
Head out and I blow it and the NAACP can't keep
You away from 'lil 'ol nigger hatin' me.
Mirror mirror on the wall who is the blackest
Of them all? A man named King it ain't no doubt
And he's causin' lots of trouble with his baboon
Mouth. Oh no it's he's a done it, caused by the
Trouble he's a brewin' and the NAACP can't win if
The white man stick with nigger hatin' me.
Hey Mr. President what'd ya say? When are we
Whites gonna have our day? The niggers've had
Theirs for such a long long time. I'm a white
And it's time that I had mine.
You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black head
Out and I blow it and the NAACP can't win if the
White man stick with nigger hatin' me.
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
All true, how's the death count in chimpcago? https://heyjackass.com/
Ben - Moderator
on Nigger hatin me
Meaning of this line above has now been corrected
Matt
on Nigger hatin me
Who ever did the meaning lines is funny... woodpile is a real term, and when it says jig aboo come out doors, he imitates a poor sounding guy saying he's afraid of the racist whites from the south cuz if they even show themselves in public, they were a target. This is a bad song about the unspoken truth
cemegonuts
on You piss me off...you fuckin' jerk
This is not David Allen Coe. It is a song written by Gaye Delorme and performed by Garry Lee and Showdown.
Teresa Warnke
on Pick Em, Lick Em, Stick Em
Are there any decent constitutional lawyers in the house?
Mr. Coe has been barred from performing in most public forums.
He is one the last surviving Outlaws of country music. Although, Nigger Fucker has racist theme, Mr. Coe was defended by his life long friend, Charlie Pride, who inspired the song, all of his days. They were close friends until the end.
David Allen COE is elderly and we don't have long to have an opportunity to see him perform. What is more is that he deserves to use his constitutional right to free speech.
Some would like to have this song and many more that feel are offensive removed from existence. I am not a racist and recognize the foulness of the song, but, I am mature enough to turn off music or any other media that I don't like.
Personally, the Brian Adam's song, "Rum to You", makes me sick, as does Reba Macy tyre's, "Fancy" and "Whoever's in New England".
Ms. Macy tires songs if a mother pimping out her daughter and an abandoned housewife faithfully waiting for her man to return from fucking his mistress hurts women. The Brian Adam's song also hurts women. I do not for a minute believe that this music should never be heard again. It does provide opportunity to discuss these things with younger people.
I am going to delete my YouTube music account because they removed DAC for it's content. I did have much respect for YouTube for it's American spirit and patriotism even though the way they pay their talent is nonsensical. One deletion is a demonstration of what will follow. Eventually this could lead to less freedoms for all of us.
Please don't fall into the currant popular victim trend. Turn off music you don't like and get on with your day.
Or stand up to censorship of the arts.
Thank You,
Teresa Warnke
Rodan
on Cum Stains on the Pillow
Dribble it on her nose!
11inthemoney
on Itty Bitty Titty
Young sex is the best
11inthemoney
on Itty Bitty Titty
Shucks it's cool.
Rodan
on Cum Stains on the Pillow
Another AWESOME DAC song that makes me bellylaugh!!!