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."
Get a Little Dirt On
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Daddy used to say to me "Son,"
"We got a lot of land
We got a lot of work to be done"
Go get your marbles, put 'em in the house
Tear down your castles in the sand
Come with your pappy to the cotton patch
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you're gonna grow up to be a big, big man
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands
Well, I reached twenty-one
And I thought I was a pretty big wheel
I left the country for the city
Met a slicker with a shady deal
He said, "hold up the bank, boy and take all the money
And run as fast as you can
The only way you'll ever get along in this world
Is to get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands"
Well, it's four in the morning
And the warden is calling' my name
He said he's teaching' me a lesson
Now he's making' me go work in the rain
Dig that ditch, boy, fill it up
I'm wanting you to understand
The only way to straighten out a guy like you
Is to get a little dirt on his hands
Get a little dirt on his hands
Hey, David
Got to get a little dirt on those hands, boy
Yeah, if you want to grow up to be a big, big man (if you wanna grow up to be a big, big man)
You better remember what old Whispering Bill told you in his song (you got to get a little dirt on your hands)
Get a little dirt on those hands
Little dirt on your hands, son
Get a little dirt on your hands
If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
I got a little dirt on my hands
Get a little dirt on your hands
The song “Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands” by David Allan Coe is a classic country tune about the value of hard work and the idea that you need to get your hands dirty in order to succeed in life. The lyrics tell the story of a young boy who is taught by his father to work hard and get a little dirt on his hands. The father is encouraging his son to be tough and to know that hard work is the key to success. As the song progresses, we see that the singer has strayed from his father’s advice and has made some bad decisions, leading him to end up in jail. But even in prison, he is reminded that hard work is the answer and he needs to get a little dirt on his hands.
The song is a powerful reminder that success does not come easy and that it takes hard work to make it in life. The title of the song itself is a metaphor for this idea, suggesting that if you want to achieve your goals in life, you need to be willing to get your hands dirty and do what it takes to make things happen.
Overall, the song is a classic example of the values and themes that are often emphasized in traditional country music: hard work, perseverance, and the importance of family and community.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little boy
In my youth, during my childhood
Daddy used to say to me "Son,"
My father would speak to me and address me as his son
"We got a lot of land
Our family has a large amount of land
We got a lot of work to be done"
There is much work to do on our land
Go get your marbles, put 'em in the house
Take care of your toys and keep them safe
Tear down your castles in the sand
Abandon childish play and activities
Come with your pappy to the cotton patch
Work alongside your father in the cotton fields
Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and agricultural work
Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and agricultural work
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Become familiar and comfortable with the demanding work that comes with our land
Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and agricultural work
If you're gonna grow up to be a big, big man
If you want to mature into a responsible and self-sufficient adult
Well, I reached twenty-one
In my young adult years
And I thought I was a pretty big wheel
Feeling overconfident and full of oneself
I left the country for the city
Moved from rural to urban living spaces
Met a slicker with a shady deal
Encountered an unscrupulous individual with a dubious proposal
He said, "hold up the bank, boy and take all the money
Persuaded me to rob a bank and steal its funds
And run as fast as you can
Escape quickly and avoid getting caught
The only way you'll ever get along in this world
According to this person, the only means of success is through unlawful acts
Is to get a little dirt on your hands
Engage in immoral and illegal behavior
Get a little dirt on your hands
Engage in immoral and illegal behavior
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
Partake in unscrupulous actions to achieve success
Get a little dirt on your hands
Engage in immoral and illegal behavior
If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
If you want to be successful like this person claims
Well, it's four in the morning
At a very early hour of the day
And the warden is calling' my name
The prison warden is summoning me
He said he's teaching' me a lesson
The warden intends to teach me a harsh lesson
Now he's making' me go work in the rain
The warden is forcing me to work outside in the rain
Dig that ditch, boy, fill it up
Perform arduous manual labor by digging and then filling up a ditch
I'm wanting you to understand
The warden seeks for me to learn and comprehend this lesson
The only way to straighten out a guy like you
According to the warden, this is the sole means of correcting someone like myself
Is to get a little dirt on his hands
The warden intends for me to become familiar with hard manual labor
Get a little dirt on his hands
Perform the labor-intensive work given to me
Hey, David
A direct address to David Allan Coe himself
Got to get a little dirt on those hands, boy
You, too, need to become familiar with and participate in manual labor
Yeah, if you want to grow up to be a big, big man (if you wanna grow up to be a big, big man)
Again, participating in hard work is necessary for achieving success
You better remember what old Whispering Bill told you in his song (you got to get a little dirt on your hands)
Remember the words of another song, emphasizing the importance of manual labor
Get a little dirt on those hands
Partake in manual labor to better understand it
Little dirt on your hands, son
It is vital to become knowledgeable about and proficient in manual labor
Get a little dirt on your hands
Learn how to perform manual labor efficiently
If you want to grow up to be a big, big man
This is essential for success and being self-sufficient as an adult
Get a little dirt on your hands
Participate in manual labor and become skilled in it
Get a little dirt on your hands, son
It is critical that you become familiarized with demanding physical work
I got a little dirt on my hands
I have successfully become knowledgeable about and proficient in manual labor
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL ANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dr. Craphead
on Damn I Wish I Was a Nigger
The song is not by David Allan Coe
Niggerhatingme
on Nigger Hatin Me
I like sugar and I like tea
But I don't like niggers, no sir-e
There are two lone things that'll make me puke
That's a hog eating slop and a big black spook
You know it, 'cuz I show it
Like a barnyard rooster I crow it
And the NAACP would sure like to get
A hold of nigger hatin' me.
Roses are red and violets are blue
Niggers are black and you know that's true
But they don't mind 'cuz what the heck
You gotta' be black to get a welfare check.
.And I'm broke, no joke. I ain't got a nickle
For a coat and I ain't black you see, so Uncle
Sam won't help poor nigger hatin' me.
Jigga-boo Jigga-boo where are you? I was
Here on the woodpile watching you. Jigga-boo
Jigga-boo come outdoors. No! I'sa scared of the
White man way down south.
You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black
Head out and I blow it and the NAACP can't keep
You away from 'lil 'ol nigger hatin' me.
Mirror mirror on the wall who is the blackest
Of them all? A man named King it ain't no doubt
And he's causin' lots of trouble with his baboon
Mouth. Oh no it's he's a done it, caused by the
Trouble he's a brewin' and the NAACP can't win if
The white man stick with nigger hatin' me.
Hey Mr. President what'd ya say? When are we
Whites gonna have our day? The niggers've had
Theirs for such a long long time. I'm a white
And it's time that I had mine.
You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black head
Out and I blow it and the NAACP can't win if the
White man stick with nigger hatin' me.
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
All true, how's the death count in chimpcago? https://heyjackass.com/
Ben - Moderator
on Nigger hatin me
Meaning of this line above has now been corrected
Matt
on Nigger hatin me
Who ever did the meaning lines is funny... woodpile is a real term, and when it says jig aboo come out doors, he imitates a poor sounding guy saying he's afraid of the racist whites from the south cuz if they even show themselves in public, they were a target. This is a bad song about the unspoken truth
cemegonuts
on You piss me off...you fuckin' jerk
This is not David Allen Coe. It is a song written by Gaye Delorme and performed by Garry Lee and Showdown.
Teresa Warnke
on Pick Em, Lick Em, Stick Em
Are there any decent constitutional lawyers in the house?
Mr. Coe has been barred from performing in most public forums.
He is one the last surviving Outlaws of country music. Although, Nigger Fucker has racist theme, Mr. Coe was defended by his life long friend, Charlie Pride, who inspired the song, all of his days. They were close friends until the end.
David Allen COE is elderly and we don't have long to have an opportunity to see him perform. What is more is that he deserves to use his constitutional right to free speech.
Some would like to have this song and many more that feel are offensive removed from existence. I am not a racist and recognize the foulness of the song, but, I am mature enough to turn off music or any other media that I don't like.
Personally, the Brian Adam's song, "Rum to You", makes me sick, as does Reba Macy tyre's, "Fancy" and "Whoever's in New England".
Ms. Macy tires songs if a mother pimping out her daughter and an abandoned housewife faithfully waiting for her man to return from fucking his mistress hurts women. The Brian Adam's song also hurts women. I do not for a minute believe that this music should never be heard again. It does provide opportunity to discuss these things with younger people.
I am going to delete my YouTube music account because they removed DAC for it's content. I did have much respect for YouTube for it's American spirit and patriotism even though the way they pay their talent is nonsensical. One deletion is a demonstration of what will follow. Eventually this could lead to less freedoms for all of us.
Please don't fall into the currant popular victim trend. Turn off music you don't like and get on with your day.
Or stand up to censorship of the arts.
Thank You,
Teresa Warnke
Rodan
on Cum Stains on the Pillow
Dribble it on her nose!
11inthemoney
on Itty Bitty Titty
Young sex is the best
11inthemoney
on Itty Bitty Titty
Shucks it's cool.
Rodan
on Cum Stains on the Pillow
Another AWESOME DAC song that makes me bellylaugh!!!