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."
Lately I
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been staying kinda stoned
Maybe I need someone who can make me feel
Like I'm not making it alone
Lately you've been colder than the weather
Whether love was right or love was wrong
Once you told me there was no one better
Now you say you're better off alone
Wrecking every dream we've ever known
Even though we're lying here together in this bed
I believe we're laying here alone
Lately I've been drivin' myself crazy lately
This old house ain't been no home
I thought you were something to hold on to
When I could not make it on my own
Lately you've been more than I can handle lately
I can't handle being stoned
Maybe I need someone who can make me feel
Like I'm not making it alone
Yesterday has ran into tomorrow
Wrecking every dream we've ever known
Even though we're lying here together in this bed
I believe we're laying here alone
Lately I've been thinking too much lately
David Allan Coe's song "Lately I've Been Thinking Too Much Lately" is a soulful and heart-wrenching tune that speaks of the confusing and painful emotions one feels when a relationship is falling apart. In the first verse, Coe admits to overthinking things and using drugs to cope. He longs for a companion who will make him feel less alone. The second verse finds Coe feeling overwhelmed and unable to handle his partner's behavior, confessing that he needs more support in his life. The chorus finds Coe reflecting on how his dreams have been shattered and how they are both struggling to maintain their relationship. The final line, "Lately I've been thinking too much lately," seems to communicate his frustration with his own inability to fix things.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately I've been thinking too much lately
I've been overanalyzing everything in my life and it's driving me crazy.
I've been staying kinda stoned
I have been using drugs to cope with my problems instead of facing them head-on.
Maybe I need someone who can make me feel like I'm not making it alone
I feel isolated and crave companionship to ease my loneliness and fears of being alone.
Lately you've been colder than the weather
Your emotional distance has made me feel rejected and hurt, like the coldness of winter.
Whether love was right or love was wrong
Despite the ups and downs of our relationship, I'm left questioning whether it was worthwhile or toxic.
Once you told me there was no one better
You used to uplift and support me, but now I feel like I'm not enough or that someone else could do better.
Now you say you're better off alone
You've made it clear that you no longer want to be with me, and it's causing me even more pain.
Yesterday has ran into tomorrow
The past feels like it's bleeding into the present, and it's destroying our hopes for a better future.
Wrecking every dream we've ever known
Our shared dreams and aspirations have been shattered by the current reality of our deteriorating relationship.
Even though we're lying here together in this bed
Physical proximity cannot change the emotional distance and disconnection between us.
I believe we're laying here alone
Despite being in the same bed, there is a vast emotional chasm between us that makes me feel completely isolated and alone.
This old house ain't been no home
Our living environment has become a symbol of our broken relationship, and it no longer feels like a place of comfort or safety.
I thought you were something to hold on to
I had faith that our relationship would last and provide a sense of stability and security.
When I could not make it on my own
I relied on you to help me through the tough times, but now I feel like I have no one to turn to.
Lately you've been more than I can handle lately
Your behavior and attitude have become too much for me to cope with emotionally, and it's taking a toll on my well-being.
I can't handle being stoned
Even drugs can no longer provide an escape from my emotional pain and distress.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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Lfdjake91
I have this album and it is awesome. Every song is a winner. I listen to it over & over again.
robert hogan
Me too
curtis grupe
i do to i used to listen to this when i was having a bad day always cheered me up
David Carpenter
One of my favs by the true outlaw
jcraigb
One of the best most underated album ever every song is kickass used to ride around with my cuz and drink and listen to DAC over and over good times good memories
Joseph Johnson
Same here brother
Joe Pena
I want the whole album playing
John White
love all these David Allen Coe songs bring back old memories of the great times of the 70s and 80s thanks
Aaron Berg
ilove countrymusic1993 Lighten up Frances!
Danielle Rawlings
ilove countrymusic1993 Like people that say Bohwie instead of Bowie!