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."
Cold Cold Heart
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That you're my every dream
Yet you're afraid each thing I do
Is just some evil scheme
A memory from your lonesome past
Keeps us so far apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
Another love before my time
Made your heart sad and blue
And so my heart is paying now
For things I didn't do
In anger unkind words are said
That make the teardrops start
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
You'll never know how much it hurts
To see you sit and cry
You know you need and want my love
Yet you're afraid to try
Why do you run and hide from lies
To try, it just ain't smart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
There was a time when I believed
That you belonged to me
But now I know your heart
Is shackled to a memory
The more I learn to care for you
The more we drift apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
The song "Cold Cold Heart" by David Allan Coe is a classic country song which tells a story of a man who is trying to convince his lover that his intentions are true and genuine but she is hesitant due to a painful past experience. The song is about the challenges of dealing with mistrust in a relationship, and how it can cause distance between two people who care about each other.
The lyrics of "Cold Cold Heart" are poetic and emotional in nature, with the singer pouring his heart out to his lover. He talks about how he has tried his best to prove his love to her but she still believes he has an ulterior motive. He also acknowledges that her past experience with another man has caused her to doubt his intentions, and this has become a barrier in their relationship. The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, with the singer asking why he cannot break down the wall created by her doubt and mistrust, and why his love is not enough to melt her "cold, cold heart".
Overall, "Cold Cold Heart" is a touching song that explores the complexities of human relationships. It highlights how past experiences can shape one's opinions and attitudes towards love and trust, and how difficult it can be to overcome these barriers. The song is a testament to the power of music to convey emotion and connect people across different backgrounds and experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried so hard, my dear, to show
I have made many efforts to demonstrate my love for you
That you're my every dream
I consider you to be the sole fulfillment of my dreams
Yet you're afraid each thing I do
Despite this, you remain suspicious of my every action
Is just some evil scheme
Thinking that I have some sort of sinister motive behind every action
A memory from your lonesome past
Your present apprehension is due to the remnants of a past, lonely relationship
Keeps us so far apart
The existence of these thoughts and fears only serves to distance us
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
I wish that I could release you from these doubts that you harbor
And melt your cold, cold heart
Allow you to be open and accepting of my love
Another love before my time
Someone else from your past, before I came along
Made your heart sad and blue
This other relationship caused you much pain and heartbreak
And so my heart is paying now
Now, unfortunately, I'm feeling the repercussions of that past experience
For things I didn't do
Though I am not responsible for the pain you suffered, I am bearing the cost now
In anger unkind words are said
Sometimes, when you're upset, you say cruel things to me
That make the teardrops start
These words hurt me to the point of invoking tears
Why do you run and hide from lies
You choose to shield yourself from falsehood, but not from the truth
To try, it just ain't smart
However, avoiding the truth is not a wise decision
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
It is my hope to relieve you of your uncertainties
And melt your cold, cold heart
And in doing so, get rid of any hostility or numbness in your heart
You'll never know how much it hurts
You cannot truly understand how much it hurts me
To see you sit and cry
To bear witness to your sadness and tears breaks my heart
You know you need and want my love
You are aware that you require and desire my love
Yet you're afraid to try
Despite this knowledge, you are afraid or hesitant to give our love a shot
There was a time when I believed
There was a point in time when I thought you were committed only to me
That you belonged to me
Your heart was mine, and mine alone
But now I know your heart
Unfortunately, I have come to realize that
Is shackled to a memory
Your current emotional hindrance is related to that past experience
The more I learn to care for you
Despite how much I care for you
The more we drift apart
The more we are growing apart emotionally
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
Once again, I ask myself why it is that I cannot ease your anxiety and suspicions
And melt your cold, cold heart
And as a result, your guardedness and lack of warmth towards me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Colin Williams
Love this version ❤️
Wyatt Queen
Amazing cover!!!!
eil king
Thanks much for post.