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."

Hank Williams Junior Junior
David Allan Coe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I ain't gonna call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
Even though I know what all his daddy done before
Hank weighs close to 200 pounds and he stands about 6 foot 4
And it's hard to call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore

Just a little bit of Waylon sure goes a long way
But old Tex Ritter rode his horse and that was hell to pay
Willie said,"Don't nobody lay a hand on the bay

Jimmie Rodgers is the only reason that I'm standin' here today"

And I ain't gonna call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
Even though I know what all his daddy done before
Hank weighs close to 200 pounds and he stands about 6 foot 4
And it's hard to call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
Dickey Betts

Hank sang it all right from the heart, took the whole world by surprise
Stood right next to Elvis in Memphis and looked him straight in the eyes
Ten years later young Bocephus busted through the door
And I just can't call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore

I ain't gonna call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
Even though I know what all his daddy done before
Hank weighs close to 200 pounds and he stands about 6 foot 4
And it's hard to call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore

From Alabama young Bocephus busted through the door
And I just can't call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore

Overall Meaning

The song "Hank Williams Junior Junior" by David Allan Coe is a tribute to Hank Williams Jr., the son of country music legend Hank Williams. In the song, Coe says that he can no longer call Hank Williams Jr. "Junior" because he has become such a successful and accomplished musician in his own right that he deserves to be recognized as his own man, not simply as the son of a famous musician. Coe references Hank Williams Sr.'s musical legacy throughout the song, acknowledging the influence that he had on his son and on country music as a whole.

Coe goes on to mention some other important figures in country music history, including Waylon Jennings, Tex Ritter, Willie Nelson, and Jimmie Rodgers, suggesting that Hank Williams Jr. is part of a long and storied tradition of artists who have shaped the genre. The reference to Bocephus, Hank Williams Jr.'s nickname, is a nod to the fact that he has become a force to be reckoned with in his own right, just like his father before him.

Overall, the song is a celebration of Hank Williams Jr.'s talent and the impact that he has had on the world of country music, while also acknowledging the legacy that his father left behind.

Line by Line Meaning

I ain't gonna call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
I refuse to continue calling him Hank Williams Junior Junior

Even though I know what all his daddy done before
Despite being aware of the accomplishments of his father

Hank weighs close to 200 pounds and he stands about 6 foot 4
Hank is a large man, weighing almost 200 pounds and standing at 6' 4" tall

And it's hard to call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
It is challenging to address someone with such a similar name to their father

Just a little bit of Waylon sure goes a long way
A small amount of Waylon Jennings' music has a significant effect

But old Tex Ritter rode his horse and that was hell to pay
Tex Ritter faced consequences for his actions, in contrast to Waylon Jennings

Willie said,"Don't nobody lay a hand on the bay
Willie Nelson prohibited anyone from touching his horse

Jimmie Rodgers is the only reason that I'm standin' here today"
Jimmie Rodgers' influence and success allowed him to be where he is now

Hank sang it all right from the heart, took the whole world by surprise
Hank Williams Sr. sang with sincerity and shocked the world with his talent

Stood right next to Elvis in Memphis and looked him straight in the eyes
Hank Williams Sr. stood beside Elvis Presley and gazed into his eyes

Ten years later young Bocephus busted through the door
A decade after Hank Williams Sr., his son Bocephus made a breakthrough into the music scene

And I just can't call Hank Williams Junior Junior anymore
It is no longer fitting to refer to him as Hank Williams Junior Junior

From Alabama young Bocephus busted through the door
Bocephus emerged onto the music scene from the state of Alabama

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BONNIE BRAMLETT, DICKEY BETTS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@sauquoit13456

4y↑4

On this day in 1984 {June 10th} "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile* by David Allan Coe peaked at #2 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Hot Country Singles* chart, for the week it was at #2, the #1 record for that week was "I Got Mexico" by Eddy Raven...
Just under two weeks later on June 23rd, "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile" reached #1 {for 1 week} on the Canadian RPM Country Singles Tracks chart...
Between 1974 and 1987 the Akron, Ohio native had thirty one records on the Hot Country Singles chart, three made the Top 10 with the above "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile" being his biggest hit...
Besides "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile", his other two Top 10 records were "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" {#8 in 1975} and "Ride" {#4 in 1983}...
Two of his thirty one charted records were duets, one with Bill Anderson {"Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands", #46 in 1980} and one with Willie Nelson {"I've Already Cheated on You", #56 in 1986}...
David Allan Cole will celebrate his 81st birthday in three months on September 6th, 2020...
* He just missed having a fourth Top 10 record when his "She Used To Love Me A Lot" peaked at #11 in 1984...
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the remainder of the Hot Country Singles' Top 10 on June 10th, 1984:
At #3. "When We Make Love" by Alabama
#4. "I Can Tell By The Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)' by Vern Gosdin
#5. "You've Still Got A Place In My Heart" by George Jones
#6. "Somebody's Needin' Somebody" by Conway Twitty
#7. "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" by Louise Mandrell
#8. "I Don't Wanna Be A Memory" by Exile
#9. "Someday When Things Are Good" by Merle Haggard
#10. "Forever Again" by Gene Watson
Personal Note: My favorite David Allan Cole record never charted, "Hank Williams Junior - Junior" with Kris Kristofferson and Dickey Betts...