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."
Coffee
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause she grinds so fine.
I call my woman, Coffee,
'Cause she grinds so fine.
She's like a percolator,
She's ready any time.
She's no ground-round virgin.
She's no ground-round virgin.
I said she's as smooth as she can be.
She's a fresh-roasted mamma,
When she gives her love to me.
She's no high-class woman,
But I don't need no fox.
She's no high-class woman,
But, buddy, I don't need no fox.
When she wakes up in the mornin',
I'm the only male in her box.
That's why I call my woman, Coffee,
Because she grinds so fine.
Yeah, I call my woman, Coffee,
Because she grinds so fine.
She's no high-class a-woman,
But she's mine, all mine.
In David Allan Coe's song "Coffee," he compares his woman to the drink he loves. The song revolves around the idea that his woman, whom he calls Coffee, grinds so fine just like the coffee he drinks. The first two lines of the song suggest that Coffee, like freshly ground coffee beans, is enticing, sophisticated, and high-quality. This comparison is carried through the lines, "she's like a percolator, she's ready any time," revealing that Coe loves Coffee for her constant readiness, much like how a coffee maker is always ready to brew.
Coe then gets into more descriptive details about his woman as he states that she isn't like a "ground-round virgin," but rather as "smooth as she can be." He further describes Coffee as a fresh-roasted mamma, alluding to her warmth and depth, which makes her love intoxicating to him. Coe also clarifies that Coffee isn't a high-class woman and that he doesn't need a high-class woman. When she wakes up in the morning, he's the only male in her box, solidifying that their relationship is exclusive.
It's apparent from the lyrics that Coe adores and romanticizes his woman, Coffee, using the metaphors of coffee to describe her qualities. His love for Coffee is like a good cup of coffee that is fresh, warm, and intoxicating, and he cannot get enough of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I call my woman, Coffee, Because she grinds so fine.
I refer to my lover as "Coffee" because she is excellent at satisfying my sexual needs.
She's like a percolator, She's ready any time.
My lover is always ready to have sex with me, just like how a percolator is always ready to make coffee.
She's no ground-round virgin. She's smooth as she can be.
My lover is not inexperienced when it comes to sex, but rather, she is very skilled and skilled at satisfying my sexual desires.
She's a fresh-roasted mamma, When she gives her love to me.
When my lover has sex with me, it feels as if she is fresh and new every time, like how freshly roasted coffee beans give the best flavor.
She's no high-class woman, But I don't need no fox.
My lover may not have high social status or be the most conventionally attractive, but she is all I need and desire.
When she wakes up in the mornin', I'm the only male in her box.
I am the only one my lover wants to be with sexually, as she is faithful to me and doesn't entertain other men.
That's why I call my woman, Coffee, Because she grinds so fine.
Again, I call my lover "Coffee" because she satisfies me so well in bed.
She's no high-class a-woman, But she's mine, all mine.
My lover may not be the most luxurious or fancy, but she belongs to me and me alone.
Contributed by Kylie L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@chris2302
David Allan Coe is a songwriting genius.
@michaellanglie5502
not exactly. But he did take the songs that were written and played them better to their style than anyone else could have.
@johnrogers8338
A genuine legend!!!
@Apoc_Bone_Daddy
THIS is one hell of a love song
@robertshort4664
Baby making.
@resin807
lol "when she wakes up in the morning im the only male in her box" thats a great pun
@patriciahammond7304
Great blues from DAC !
@patriciahammond7304
Reminds me of when I saw him at Live Aid #13 ....I think . I was too fucked up to remember but I got my ticket stub 🤣🤣🤣
@patriciahammond7304
But Im too fucked now to find it !
@kimmartin7024
Love the blues