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."
Devil Went Down to Jamaica
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was looking to sell some weed
he was doin' fine, they were standing in line
it was excellent weed indeed
he came across a young man who was likewise peddling pot
and the devil slid down the beach and said "boy let me tell you what,
I guess you kinda figured I'm a reefer head of course
and after all this time, I guess that I'm a conessuire of sorts
I bet a million in cash against your satsh that mines better then yours."
the boy said my names Johnny and you ain't smoked nothing yet
one hit of this grass'll kick your ass, you got yourself a bet."
Johnny role a ball of hash and make sure its the bomb
cause the devils got the kinda stuff they smoke in vietnam
you'll get a million smackaroos in cash if you can cope
but if you can't the devil gets your dope
The devil packed a bong with a little ockopoco gold
and resin flew from his fingertips as he fired up his bowl
he filled that chamber all the way and he took a mighty hit
and as they passed it back and forth it gave them both a coughing fit
when the bowl was finished Johnny said hey man that stuff was great
but fill your lungs with some of this and prepare to vegetate
cannibas sativa sweet mary jane
the devils in the back yard frying his brain
zig zag filled with a diggidy dank
hold on tight it'll hit you like a tank
the devil nodded off because he knew that he was stoned
and he asked if he could buy an ounce of the stuff that Johnny owned
Johnny said devil just come on back if you ever want to catch a buzz
i done told you once you son of a bitch mines the best there ever was
Fired up doobies one by one
aint gonna stop till the bags done
green as a bull frog sticky as glue
granny do you get high yes i do
David Allan Coe's song "Devil Went Down to Jamaica" is a comical take on the age-old tale of a man being tempted by the devil. In this case, however, the devil is looking to sell some weed to the people of Jamaica. The song begins with the devil arriving on the island, eager to make a profit selling his excellent weed. As he strolls down the beach, the devil comes across a young man selling pot. The devil challenges him to a bet, claiming that his weed is better than the boy's.
The boy accepts the challenge, and the two sit down to smoke a bowl. The devil takes a hit from his bong, filled with ockopoco gold, and passes it to the boy. After some back-and-forth, the boy eventually offers the devil some of his weed, claiming that it will "vegetate" him. The devil takes a hit and quickly nods off, satisfied with his purchase. The song ends with the boy telling the devil to come back to him when he wants a "buzz," as he has the best weed on the island.
The song is a lighthearted look at the marijuana culture in Jamaica, and the devil is portrayed as just another salesman trying to make a buck. It is a fun and entertaining song that has become a cult classic among fans of David Allan Coe.
Line by Line Meaning
The Devil went to Jamaica
The Devil decided to travel to Jamaica for selling some weed.
He was looking to sell some weed
The Devil was searching for customers who would like to buy weed.
he was doin' fine, they were standing in line
The Devil's business was going well and he had several customers waiting in line to buy weed.
it was excellent weed indeed
The quality of the weed that the Devil had was exceptional.
he came across a young man who was likewise peddling pot
The Devil met a young man who was also selling weed.
and the devil slid down the beach and said "boy let me tell you what,
The Devil approached the young man and said, 'Hey boy, let me tell you something.'
I guess you kinda figured I'm a reefer head of course
The Devil assumed that the young man knew he was someone who did drugs.
and after all this time, I guess that I'm a conessuire of sorts
The Devil considered himself a sort of expert in weed after having had it for so long.
now your stuff smells ok, but this can tranquilize a horse
The Devil told the young man that although his weed was fine, the Devil's weed was strong enough to even tranquilize a horse.
I bet a million in cash against your satsh that mines better then yours."
The Devil wagered a bet of one million in cash that his weed was better than the young man's.
the boy said my names Johnny and you ain't smoked nothing yet
The young man introduced himself as Johnny and told the Devil that he hadn't had anything like Johnny's weed yet.
one hit of this grass'll kick your ass, you got yourself a bet."
Johnny challenged the Devil to try his weed, saying that even one hit would be enough to knock the Devil out.
Johnny role a ball of hash and make sure its the bomb
Johnny prepared a ball of hash to ensure that it was the best quality.
cause the devils got the kinda stuff they smoke in vietnam
Johnny knew that the Devil had strong weed that even people in Vietnam smoked.
you'll get a million smackaroos in cash if you can cope
Johnny promised that if the Devil could handle his weed, he would get one million in cash.
but if you can't the devil gets your dope
However, if the Devil couldn't cope with Johnny's weed, he would have to give up his own weed to Johnny.
The devil packed a bong with a little ockopoco gold
The Devil used a special gold called ockopoco to prepare a bong for smoking weed.
and resin flew from his fingertips as he fired up his bowl
The Devil expertly lit the weed in the bong using his fingertips, and resin started to fly out.
he filled that chamber all the way and he took a mighty hit
The Devil put a lot of weed in the bong and took a big hit.
and as they passed it back and forth it gave them both a coughing fit
As they smoked the weed and passed it back and forth, they both started to cough.
when the bowl was finished Johnny said hey man that stuff was great
After they were done smoking, Johnny said that the weed was great.
but fill your lungs with some of this and prepare to vegetate
However, Johnny challenged the Devil to try his own weed and prepare to be knocked out.
cannibas sativa sweet mary jane
Johnny's weed was a high-quality strain of cannabis called Sweet Mary Jane.
the devils in the back yard frying his brain
The Devil was so high from Johnny's weed that he was incapable of doing anything and was sitting in the backyard.
zig zag filled with a diggidy dank
They used a Zig Zag rolling paper to smoke the weed, which was of the finest quality.
hold on tight it'll hit you like a tank
Johnny told the Devil to hold on tight as the weed would hit him hard.
the devil nodded off because he knew that he was stoned
The Devil fell asleep because he knew that he was too high to do anything else.
and he asked if he could buy an ounce of the stuff that Johnny owned
The Devil loved Johnny's weed so much that he immediately asked if he could buy an ounce.
Johnny said devil just come on back if you ever want to catch a buzz
Johnny told the Devil to come back anytime he wanted to feel high.
i done told you once you son of a bitch mines the best there ever was
Before leaving, Johnny reminded the Devil once again that his weed was simply the best.
Fired up doobies one by one
They started to smoke the doobies (joints) one by one.
aint gonna stop till the bags done
They kept smoking until the bag of weed was done.
green as a bull frog sticky as glue
The weed was green and sticky, almost like glue.
granny do you get high yes i do
Granny was also smoking weed and enjoying the high, proving that age is just a number.
Contributed by Owen W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@angelhavewings7195
The Devil went to Jamaica
He was looking to sell some weed
He was doin' fine, they were standing in line
It was excellent weed indeed
He came across a young man who was likewise peddling pot
And the devil slid down the beach and said, "Boy, let me tell you what.
I guess you kinda figured I'm a reefer head of course.
And after all this time, I guess that I'm a connoisseur of sorts.
Now your stuff smells OK, but this can tranquilize a horse.
I bet a million in cash against your stash that mine's better than yours."
The boy said, "My name's Johnny, and you ain't smoked nothing yet.
One hit of this grass'll kick your ass, you got yourself a bet."
Johnny roll a ball of hash and make sure it's the bomb
'Cause the devil's got the kinda stuff they smoke in Vietnam
You'll get a million smackaroos in cash if you can cope
But if you can't the devil gets your dope
The devil packed a bong with a little Acapulco gold
And rosin flew from his fingertips as he fired up his bowl
He filled that chamber all the way and he took a mighty hit
And as they passed it back and forth it gave them both a coughing fit
When the bowl was finished Johnny said, "Hey, man, that stuff was great.
But fill your lungs with some of this and prepare to vegetate."
Cannabis sativa, sweet Mary Jane
The devil's in the back yard frying his brain
Zig zag filled with a diggidy dank
Hold on tight it'll hit you like a tank
The devil nodded off because he knew that he was stoned
And he asked if he could buy an ounce of the stuff that Johnny owned
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever want to catch a buzz.
I done told you once you son of a bitch mine's the best there ever was."
Fired up doobies one by one
Ain't gonna stop 'til the bag's done
Green as a bull frog sticky as glue
"Granny, do you get high?"
"Yes, I do."
@billiehennessee592
2023 almost 2024 anyone still listening to this gem?
@Fergie64
Yup
@valentinapetraeterovicbubl2756
Just found this, it's beautiful
@bradenwall4027
It will never die
@larsingre5615
Often!
@AdmiralWoodhouse
Here on April 6th 2024
@sharkman1042
So, I decided to listen to Devil Went Down To Georgia to vibe. I typed in "Devil Went Down To" and I just barely noticed Jamaica as I hit the right thing. I have zero regrets on the decision I made
@knightwolf131
I did the exact the same shit
@kennethlittle8505
Lmao look up some more david Allen Coe
@elbarto9657
Same here my man I was high as shit too best thing ever