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."
Love is a Never Ending War
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I dozed off in the back of the bus
To the groan of the Greyhounds throttle
And I woke to crack of a paper sack
And a cork poppin' from a bottle
I tell you son the old man said
It was hell in world war two
I saw the wood that filled his shoe
The younger man who followed him in opened up his vest
Showed the older soldier where he caught one in the chest
Both of them had purple hearts for the hell that they've been through
Well I don't have no purple heart mine's just black and blue
Chorus:
Oh love is a never ending war
March me into action
And we'll train for what's in store
You win some and you lose some
But I believe in what I'm fightin' for
Oh love is a never ending war
They where half-way through that bottle
And they where gettin' high
I never fought in those two wars
But Lord my throat was dry
So I showed them scars and stitches
Inflicted by Maria
But I didn't think that would give me a drink
So I blamed it on Korea
I parted my hair and I showed them where
I got shrapnel from a grenade
I just couldn't tell it was where Annabelle
Put a glas of lemonade
How that I've been tortured by the blade of a bajonet
And I never forget that hot August night
And the fingernails of Jeanet
Chorus
As I neared my destination I saw tears well in their eyes
Partly from the drinkin' but mostly from my lies
And they stood up to salute me
As I stepped down from the bus
And out of the open window they yelled
Give her hell for us
Chorus
The song "Love Is A Never Ending War" by David Allan Coe is a powerful reflection on the profundity of love and how it can be compared to a never-ending war. The song tells the story of the singer riding on a Greyhound bus and meeting two old soldiers who fought in World War II and Korea. They bond over a bottle of booze and share their war stories, showing each other their scars and medals, as well as the wounds of love that they carry with them.
The lyrics convey a sense of loneliness and longing as the singer describes the desperation that compels people to love and the pain that can be inflicted upon them. Love is compared to a war, suggesting that it is a never-ending conflict that requires courage and endurance. The chorus says, "Oh love is a never-ending war, march me into action, and we'll train for what's in store. You win some and you lose some, but I believe in what I'm fightin' for."
The song captures the intensity and struggle of love and how it can inspire both the best and the worst in people. The lyrics are a poignant reminder that love is not always easy, but it is worth fighting for. The powerful message behind the song has made it a classic among country music fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I dozed off in the back of the bus
I fell asleep on the bus
To the groan of the Greyhounds throttle
The bus engine was making noise
And I woke to crack of a paper sack
Someone opened a bag that made a noise
And a cork poppin' from a bottle
A bottle of alcohol was opened
I tell you son the old man said
The old man said to me
It was hell in world war two
World War Two was very difficult
As he rolled up his pant leg
He lifted his pant leg
I saw the wood that filled his shoe
I saw that he had a wooden leg because of his injury
The younger man who followed him in opened up his vest
The younger man who came in after him opened his shirt
Showed the older soldier where he caught one in the chest
He showed the older soldier where he was shot in the chest
Both of them had purple hearts for the hell that they've been through
Both of them were awarded purple hearts for their injuries in war
Well I don't have no purple heart mine's just black and blue
I don't have a purple heart, only bruises
Chorus: Oh love is a never ending war
Love is a difficult battle
March me into action
Make me take action
And we'll train for what's in store
We will prepare for what may happen
You win some and you lose some
Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail
But I believe in what I'm fightin' for
I have a strong conviction about what I am fighting for
They where half-way through that bottle
They had drank half of that bottle of alcohol
And they where gettin' high
They were getting intoxicated
I never fought in those two wars
I did not serve in those two wars
But Lord my throat was dry
I was thirsty
So I showed them scars and stitches
I showed them my wounds and stitches
Inflicted by Maria
Caused by Maria
But I didn't think that would give me a drink
But I didn't think that would get me a drink
So I blamed it on Korea
So I said it was from Korea, not Maria
I parted my hair and I showed them where
I showed them a spot on my head
I got shrapnel from a grenade
I got hit by shrapnel from a grenade
I just couldn't tell it was where Annabelle
I couldn't bring myself to say it was Annabelle's fault
Put a glas of lemonade
She had given me a glass of lemonade
How that I've been tortured by the blade of a bajonet
I was tortured by a bayonet
And I never forget that hot August night
I can never forget that August night
And the fingernails of Jeanet
And Jeanet's fingernails were involved in the torture
Chorus
Love is a difficult battle
As I neared my destination I saw tears well in their eyes
As I approached my stop, I saw that they were tearing up
Partly from the drinkin' but mostly from my lies
Partly because of drinking, but mostly because of my lies
And they stood up to salute me
They stood up to show respect for me
As I stepped down from the bus
As I got off the bus
And out of the open window they yelled
They yelled out the window
Give her hell for us
Fight hard for us
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DEWAYNE BLACKWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SicillianmanDon SicillianmanDon
glad someone finally put this on here, one of my favorite coe songs
Knut Oskar Løkka
This song is from David's 1986 CBS album "Son Of The South". It's written by D. Blackwell. It's such a good laugh. The album was produced by Billy Sherrill.
danny rousseau
The song that made me a true DAC fan for life.
Carson Zickefoose
The origial rhinstone cowboy. Semper Fi.
danny rousseau
POSOLUTELY.
Eric Beerling
well played David
Keith Jones
there are 100 of D A C greatest hit cds this great and cleaver and funny song is not on any of them ?
Tyler Cox
It’s a very underrated song
Reed Wolf
thats the album I have ~momofreed
Roxxane D'troyt
Reed is my sons name..