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."
Got You on My Mind
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fellin' kind of sad and low
Wonderin' where you are
Wonderin' why you had to go
Tears began to fall
Every time I hear your name
Tears began to fall
Every time I hear your name
Since you went away
Nothing seems to be the same
No matter how I try
My heart keeps telling me that I
Can't forget you
If it should ever be
That you wanna come back to me
I'm gonna let you
Got you on my mind
Fellin' kind of sad and low
Got you on mind
Fellin' kind of sad and low
Wonderin' where you are
Wonderin' why you had to go
David Allan Coe's song "Got You on My Mind" expresses a sense of heartbreak and longing for someone who has left the singer's life. The lyrics describe the emotions of feeling sad and low, and wondering where the person is and why they had to go. The repetition of the lines "Tears began to fall / Every time I hear your name" emphasizes the pain associated with their departure. The singer acknowledges that nothing seems to be the same since the person left, and even though they try to forget about them, their heart continues to remind them of their presence.
Although the song is a classic country ballad, the lyrics have a universal appeal that transcend genres and time periods. Coe's raw and emotional vocals, paired with simple yet effective instrumentation, create a powerful and relatable message. The song is a reminder that going through heartbreak and loss is a universal experience, and many people have likely felt the same emotions described in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Got you on mind
I cannot stop thinking about you
Fellin' kind of sad and low
Feeling melancholy and down
Wonderin' where you are
Questioning your current location
Wonderin' why you had to go
Trying to understand the reason for your departure
Tears began to fall
Crying uncontrollably
Every time I hear your name
Whenever someone mentions you
Tears began to fall
Crying uncontrollably
Every time I hear your name
Whenever someone mentions you
Since you went away
Since the time of your departure
Nothing seems to be the same
Everything has changed without you here
No matter how I try
Despite my best efforts
My heart keeps telling me that I
My feelings are telling me that
Can't forget you
I cannot stop thinking about you
If it should ever be
In the event that it happens
That you wanna come back to me
If you want to return to me
I'm gonna let you
I will allow you to come back
Got you on my mind
I cannot stop thinking about you
Fellin' kind of sad and low
Feeling melancholy and down
Got you on mind
I cannot stop thinking about you
Wonderin' where you are
Questioning your current location
Wonderin' why you had to go
Trying to understand the reason for your departure
Contributed by Gianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@olwreck
the greatest version of this song
@joanrockblues
no one knows that,but is true!!
@listener-kv8rr
Wciąż o tobie śnię, smutno mi i nie mam sił.
Wciąż o tobie śnię, smutno mi i nie chcę nic.
Jak to stało się? Jak, że ty odeszłaś stąd?
Zawsze płyną łzy, kiedy słyszę imię twe.
Zawsze płyną łzy, kiedy słyszę imię twe.
Poszłaś sobie stąd i wszystko zmieniło się.
I choćbym tego chciał, me serce nie da mi zapomnieć ciebie.
Więc jeśli wrócisz tu, wiedz, że z miłością przyjmę cię.
Wciąż o tobie śnię, smutno mi i nie mam sił.
Wciąż o tobie śnię, smutno mi i nie chcę nic.
Jak to stało się? Jak, że ty odeszłaś stąd?
@Johnny_G51
Did Coe write this?
@buckelsass8599
Howard Biggs & Joe Thomas