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."
Fuckin
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fuckin in the butt
Fuckin in the butt
I'd like to fuck the shit out of you
I'd like to fuck the shit out of you
I'd like to fuck the shit out of you
I'd like to fuck the shit out of you
Hey please put my gland in your hand
Hey please put my gland in your hand
Hey please put my gland in your hand
Please put my gland in your hand
Baby won't you give me some head
Baby won't you give me some head
Baby won't you give me some head
Baby won't you give me some head
We like to eat lunch down at the why
We like to eat luncu down at the why
We like to eat lunch down at the why
Why? Because we love you. Hi, my name's David, and these are my friends
It's been a pleasure doin this album for ya
We'd like to specially dedicate this album to all the members of the Mickey
Mouse Fan Club
And to you Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.
And I'd like to fuck the shit out of you (fades to end of song).
The lyrics of David Allan Coe's song "Fuckin' in the Butt" are explicit and straightforward. The song title itself suggests the primary subject matter of the song, which is sexual intercourse. The repetition of the phrase "Fuckin in the butt," highlights the central theme of the song, which is about engaging in anal sex.
The lyrics contain few other lines besides the chorus, which focuses on the desire to have sex in graphic, explicit terms. The line "I'd like to fuck the shit out of you" is repeated four times, underscoring the singer's obsession with anal sex. The line "Hey please put my gland in your hand" implies a request for oral sex from the partner.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics take a sudden shift towards randomness, with a mention of eating lunch at a place called "the why" and a dedication to the Mickey Mouse Fan Club. Overall, the song's lyrics are direct, vulgar, and sexually explicit, with little subtlety or nuance.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuckin in the butt
Expressing a desire to engage in anal sex
I'd like to fuck the shit out of you
Expressing a strong desire to engage in rough and intense anal sex
Hey please put my gland in your hand
Asking for manual stimulation of the penis
Please put my gland in your hand
Requesting manual stimulation of the penis
Baby won't you give me some head
Asking for oral sex
We like to eat lunch down at the why
Non sequitur line, possibly referring to a specific location or inside joke
Why? Because we love you. Hi, my name's David, and these are my friends
Shift in tone to a friendly greeting, suggesting the previous lines were intended as a joke or prank
It's been a pleasure doin this album for ya
Acknowledging the listener and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to create music
We'd like to specially dedicate this album to all the members of the Mickey
Mouse Fan Club
And to you Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.
Offering a special dedication to specific groups or individuals, possibly as a way to deflect criticism or controversy for the previous lyrics
And I'd like to fuck the shit out of you (fades to end of song).
Returning to the original theme of expressing the desire for rough anal sex
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RobCookJr
This song isn't just hilarious, it displays some seriously great musicianship.
@KoffinKicker
My wife hates these albums, but my Pa was a man with taste and so am I.
@richardbarber3806
A true classic, listen to that guitar pickin!
@jasjfl
I will always remember the first time I heard this. My friend walked into my 8th grade science class singing it loud and proud and I was hooked.
@bobthebear1246
Seriously?
@brt5273
Aht he good old days when the filthy minds of adolescents was honest and on full display....
@dylanstokes7025
I knew david allen Coe was good,but I didnt know he was this good.he somehow found a way to make weird ass lyrics sound fucking amazing
@DojaPack
Baby won't you give me some head
@the_burchfield1655
for that hot math teacher in 8th grade... ms.craig where ever you are
@bassistdave109
for that judge that let's me go on everything wherever she is ahahaha!