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."

Face To Face
David Allan Coe Lyrics

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Face to face, toe to toe
Where we'll stop, heaven knows
Arm in arm, cheek to cheek
Whose to blame?

Hand in hand, heart to heart
We never should have let it start
But it's too late, we shared it all

Now it's time to share the blame

I can feel your body tremble
As I hold you in my arms
For you know, another woman has my name
Now she knows it's you and me
But she don't want to set me free
We've shared it all, now it's time to share the blame

Face to face, toe to toe
Where we'll stop, heaven knows
Arm in arm, cheek to cheek
Whose to blame?

Hand in hand, heart to heart
We never should have let it start
But it's too late, we shared it all
Now it's time to share the blame

Face to face, toe to toe
Where we'll stop, heaven knows
Arm in arm, cheek to cheek
Whose to blame?

Hand in hand, heart to heart
We never should have let it start
But it's too late, we shared it all
Now it's time to share the blame

Face to face, toe to toe
Where we'll stop

Overall Meaning

, heaven only knows. The song Face to Face by David Allan Coe is a soulful ballad about the pain and blame that arises when two people in a relationship that is not meant to be, fall in love. The song is about two people who have fallen for each other even though one of them is already in a committed relationship. It is a regretful song that tells the story of two people who knew that what they were doing was wrong, yet they couldn't help themselves and now they must face the consequences. The lyrics are emotional and powerful and tell the story of the two people who are struggling with the guilt and pain of their actions.

The song highlights the complexity of relationships and how sometimes it's too late to fix things. The woman is trembled and knows that she is the other one in the relationship that should not have started in the first place. The two people knew that what they were doing was wrong, and they should have never allowed it to happen. However, they have now gone too far, and they must both take responsibility for their actions. The relationship is at a crossroads, and they must now face the reality of what they have done.

Line by Line Meaning

Face to face, toe to toe
Meeting each other directly and closely.

Where we'll stop, heaven knows
Uncertainty about what will happen next.

Arm in arm, cheek to cheek
Close physical contact with another person.

Whose to blame?
Uncertainty about who should take responsibility for the situation.

Hand in hand, heart to heart
Close emotional contact with another person.

We never should have let it start
Regret for beginning a situation or relationship.

But it's too late, we shared it all
Acknowledging that they have already gone too far in their situation.

Now it's time to share the blame
Taking responsibility for their actions and admitting their faults.

I can feel your body tremble
The physical and emotional impact of the situation is felt.

As I hold you in my arms
Seeking comfort in physical contact with another person.

For you know, another woman has my name
The guilt of being unfaithful to another person.

Now she knows it's you and me
Acknowledging that the affair has been discovered by the partner.

But she don't want to set me free
The partner is not willing to end the relationship despite the infidelity.