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."

Itty Bitty Titty
David Allan Coe Lyrics

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We was swappin stories with a bunch of the guys, some were the truth and some were lies. we were talking bout all them girls we known and how they love them big titties so.
Well they looked at me and said well how bout you? i said boys them itty bitty titties will do, well they were laughing at me and calling me weird and i said boys, let me tell you bout them itty bitty titties.
Well it seems all the boys that were doin the laughin learned about their titties in national geographic, learned about mine in a girl scout tent, let me tell you how my education went.

when she opened her blouse well i stared at aw cause i was in love with what i saw and though them titties may have lacked in size them titties were alive and right in front of my eyes.
Yeah itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties

itty bitty titties
i love itty bitty titties
Well i still remember all the fun i had, that girl scout shoulda won a merit badge, i swore when i got back to the city i was gonna get some more of them itty bitty titties.
Now itty bitty titties fit right in your mouth, you don't have to worry bout the sides falling out they got itty bitty nipples just the size of nickels, itty bitty titties what i'm talking about.
Yeah itty bitty titties.
itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties
i love itty bitty titties
Who else loves them itty bitty titties in here?
Now itty bitty titties don't need no brazier cause they stick straight out in the atmosphere and when you get old they won't fall of your chest itty bitty titties are the very best...
And now i don't give a damn about mrs. dolly give me itty bitty titties and i'll get my jollies they melt in your mouth they fit in your hand, itty bitty titties are the joy of the land.
That's right
Yeah itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties
those itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties
i love itty bitty titties
Now every story has a moral to it, being the moral young man i am i'm going to tell you the moral of this story.
You ready boys? well i've heard it said all over this land that you can judge a man by the size of his hand so if you want yourself a girl with a tight little kitty you better find yourself a girl with itty bitty titties.
Yeah itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties
those itty bitty titties
itty bitty titties

i love itty bitty titties
I do how bout you?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of David Allan Coe's Itty Bitty Titty describe a conversation between the singer and his friends about their preferences when it comes to women's breasts. The other guys in the group assert their preference for big breasts, but the singer proudly declares that he loves itty bitty titties. He goes on to recount a vivid memory of a sexual experience with a woman who had small breasts, and emphasizes that despite their small size, they were perfect for him.

The song presents an interesting commentary on the societal pressure placed on women to have large breasts, as well as the pressure placed on men to prefer them. By depicting the singer's experience and preference for small breasts, the song subverts the dominant cultural narrative and celebrates a different kind of beauty. At the same time, the song's lyrics have been criticized for being vulgar and objectifying towards women, and its message of "if you want a girl with a tight little kitty, find a girl with itty bitty titties" has been called misogynistic.

Despite the controversy surrounding the song's lyrics, Itty Bitty Titty has become a cult classic and a favorite among Coe's fans. Its catchy tune and irreverent subject matter have helped it maintain its popularity over the years.

Line by Line Meaning

We was swappin stories with a bunch of the guys, some were the truth and some were lies. we were talking bout all them girls we known and how they love them big titties so.
Me and my buddies were sharing stories about girls we know, and how much they like big boobs.

Well they looked at me and said well how bout you? i said boys them itty bitty titties will do, well they were laughing at me and calling me weird and i said boys, let me tell you bout them itty bitty titties.
My friends asked me what I like, and I said I prefer small breasts. They laughed at me and thought it was strange, so I explained why I like them.

Well it seems all the boys that were doin the laughin learned about their titties in national geographic, learned about mine in a girl scout tent, let me tell you how my education went.
My friends learned about breasts from magazines, but I learned about them firsthand from a girl in a tent.

when she opened her blouse well i stared at aw cause i was in love with what i saw and though them titties may have lacked in size them titties were alive and right in front of my eyes.
When the girl I was with showed me her small breasts, I was enamored by them and didn't mind that they were small.

Yeah itty bitty titties itty bitty titties itty bitty titties itty bitty titties i love itty bitty titties
I really love small breasts.

Well i still remember all the fun i had, that girl scout shoulda won a merit badge, i swore when i got back to the city i was gonna get some more of them itty bitty titties.
I had a great time with that girl in the tent, and I made a promise to myself that I would find more small-breasted girls to be with in the city.

Now itty bitty titties fit right in your mouth, you don't have to worry bout the sides falling out they got itty bitty nipples just the size of nickels, itty bitty titties what i'm talking about.
Small breasts are easy to handle and have small nipples, making them perfect for oral sex.

Who else loves them itty bitty titties in here?
Does anyone else here love small breasts like I do?

Now itty bitty titties don't need no brazier cause they stick straight out in the atmosphere and when you get old they won't fall of your chest itty bitty titties are the very best...
Small breasts don't need bras and don't sag as much when you get older, making them the best kind of breasts.

And now i don't give a damn about mrs. dolly give me itty bitty titties and i'll get my jollies they melt in your mouth they fit in your hand, itty bitty titties are the joy of the land.
I don't care about big-breasted women like Dolly Parton, I prefer small breasts that fit in my hand and are pleasurable. Small breasts are the best!

That's right Yeah itty bitty titties itty bitty titties those itty bitty titties itty bitty titties i love itty bitty titties
Yes, small breasts are the best! I really love them.

Now every story has a moral to it, being the moral young man i am i'm going to tell you the moral of this story. You ready boys? well i've heard it said all over this land that you can judge a man by the size of his hand so if you want yourself a girl with a tight little kitty you better find yourself a girl with itty bitty titties.
Every story has a lesson, and this one is: you can judge a man's penis size by the size of his hand. So, if you want to find a girl with a tight vagina, you should look for a girl with small breasts.

I do how bout you?
Do any of you feel the same way I do about small breasts?

Contributed by Vivian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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