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."
Gotta Serve Somebody
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You might like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Plenty of drugs at your command and women in a cage
You might be a businessman or some high degree thief
They may call you 'Doctor', they may call you 'Chief'
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, yeah, yeah, serve somebody
Oh, it may be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Now, you may be a State Trooper, you might be a young Turk
You may even be the head of some great big TV network
You may be rich or poor and you may be blind or chained
You might be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're still gonna have to serve somebody
Maybe a construction worker working on a home
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You may own guns, you may even own tanks
You may be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh yeah, serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, it might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Now you can call me Terry or you might call me Moore
You may call me David or you might call me Coe
You can call me RJ or you can call me Ray
You can call me anything, I don't care what you say
You're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh, serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You may be a rock 'n' roll star, prancing on the stage
You got plenty of drugs at your command, you got women in a cage
You might be a big businessman or some high degree thief
Now they might call you 'Doctor', they might call you 'Chief'
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
It might be the devil, it might be, it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Oh man, you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Serve somebody, serve somebody
Somebody, somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
David Allan Coe's song "Gotta Serve Somebody" explores the concept that, no matter who you are or what you do, everyone ultimately serves someone or something. In the song, Coe lists off various types of people, from ambassadors to rock stars to construction workers, and explains that they all have to serve somebody, whether it is the devil or the Lord. The chorus repeats the phrase "serve somebody" to emphasize this theme.
One interpretation of the song is that it encourages listeners to question who or what they are serving in their own lives. Coe suggests that serving the Lord is the better option, but either way, everyone will answer to something or someone.
Another possible interpretation is that Coe is critiquing society's preoccupation with power and success. By including people from all walks of life, he demonstrates that even those who seem to have everything still ultimately serve something. It is worth noting that the last verse, where Coe lists off different names he goes by, reinforces the idea that identity is not tied to what we do or who we serve.
Line by Line Meaning
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You could hold a prominent diplomatic position in England or France.
You might like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may enjoy gambling or spending time on the dance floor.
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
Perhaps, you are the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion.
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
Maybe, you are a socialite who likes to flaunt your wealth and a long string of pearls.
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Regardless of who you are or what you do, you have to serve someone.
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
This serving could be in the form of serving the devil or the Lord.
You might be a rock 'n' roll man, prancing on the stage
You could be a rockstar, prancing on stage while performing.
Plenty of drugs at your command and women in a cage
You might have a lot of drugs at your disposal and have women you control.
You might be a businessman or some high degree thief
Perhaps, you are involved in business or even theft with a high degree of sophistication.
They may call you 'Doctor', they may call you 'Chief'
You could hold a title of respect like 'Doctor' or 'Chief'.
Now, you may be a State Trooper, you might be a young Turk
Perhaps, you are a State Trooper or even a young, ambitious leader.
You may even be the head of some great big TV network
You could be the head of a large and successful TV network.
You may be rich or poor and you may be blind or chained
You could be wealthy or poor in any condition, even blind or chained.
You might be living in another country under another name
Maybe, you are living in a different country under a different name.
Maybe a construction worker working on a home
Perhaps, you work as a construction worker building houses.
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You could be living in a grand mansion or even be inside a dome-shaped home.
You may own guns, you may even own tanks
You could own guns or even own tanks as a weapon of defense.
You may be somebody's landlord, you might even own banks
Perhaps, you are someone's landlord or even own a bank.
Now you can call me Terry or you might call me Moore
You can address me by my name, Terry Moore.
You may call me David or you might call me Coe
Or you could call me David Coe.
You can call me RJ or you can call me Ray
Or you could shorten my name to RJ or Ray.
You can call me anything, I don't care what you say
You can call me anything you want, it doesn't matter to me.
It might be the devil, it might be, it might be the Lord
It could be the devil or even the Lord that you serve.
Oh man, you're gonna have to serve somebody, serve somebody
Regardless of who you are or what you do, you have to serve someone.
Somebody, somebody
This someone could be anybody.
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
This serving could be in the form of serving the devil or the Lord.
Writer(s): Bob Dylan Copyright: Special Rider Music
Contributed by Keira I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JHarder1000
Two true mavericks. Extraordinary talents, who border on, and frequently spill over, into genus..
@barryallison5378
It might be the devil, or it might be the Lord