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."
Nothing Sacred
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But he never knocked on the door.
Catching his wife in another man's arms,
Acting like some stupid whore.
He picked up his pride and took it outside.
He just had to have him a drink.
With his hand on his pistol he walked in a bar
This life is turning from better to worse,
The whole damn world's crazy he swore.
What the hell's happening, Jesus Christ?
Ain't there nothing sacred no more?
(Chorus)Ain't there nothing sacred no more, lord, ain't there nothing sacred no more?
What the hell's happening, Jesus Christ? Ain't there nothing sacred no more.
Seeking repentence, she went to the church.
Expression was good for the soul.
The preacher undressed her, and then he blessed her,
By putting his faith in her hole.
Two hours later, feeling the guilt,
She finally confessed to the crime.
Then you could see how they believed she wasn't out of her mind.
What kind of preacher could stoop low enough
To make love to some common whore?
What the hell's happening, Jesus Christ?
Ain't there nothing sacred no more?
(Repeat chorus 2x)
The song “Nothing Sacred” by David Allan Coe tells the story of two characters, Jimmy and his unfaithful wife. Jimmy comes home early from work and walks in on his wife being intimate with another man. Feeling enraged, he storms out and goes to a bar to calm himself down. He’s frustrated with the world and, as the chorus repeats, asks, “Ain’t there nothing sacred no more?”
The second verse changes focus to Jimmy’s wife who goes to church seeking repentance after her infidelity. The preacher takes advantage of her and the churchgoers, rather than condemning him, believe her to be the one in the wrong. Coe’s lyrics bring up the idea that nothing, not even religion or morality, is sacred or respected anymore.
Coe’s lyrics are powerful in the way they surface the disenchanted attitudes of the characters about the world around them. They express frustration at the lack of respect for basic societal codes of conduct and moral settings. Furthermore, the characters’ expressions of moral outrage can be a message to the society at large, calling for re-evaluation of shared values and for individuals to uphold and uphold them. In short, the lyrics speak to the lack of ethics in modern society and question the idea of 'sacredness.'
Line by Line Meaning
Quitting work early, Jimmy went home,
Jimmy left work early and went home.
But he never knocked on the door.
He didn't knock on the door of his house.
Catching his wife in another man's arms,
He found his wife in the arms of another man.
Acting like some stupid whore.
She was acting like a prostitute.
He picked up his pride and took it outside.
He left the house with his pride.
He just had to have him a drink.
He went to a bar to have a drink.
With his hand on his pistol he walked in a bar
He entered the bar with his hand on his gun.
And that's when he started to think
He began thinking at that moment.
This life is turning from better to worse,
He felt that life was getting worse.
The whole damn world's crazy he swore.
He believed that the entire world was insane.
What the hell's happening, Jesus Christ?
He questioned what was happening.
Ain't there nothing sacred no more?
He wondered if there was anything that was still sacred.
(Chorus)Ain't there nothing sacred no more, lord, ain't there nothing sacred no more?
The chorus questions if there is anything sacred left.
Seeking repentence, she went to the church.
The woman went to church seeking forgiveness.
Expression was good for the soul.
She believed that expressing herself was good for her soul.
The preacher undressed her, and then he blessed her,
The preacher had sexual relations with her and then blessed her.
By putting his faith in her hole.
He put his faith in her sexual organs.
Two hours later, feeling the guilt,
Two hours later, she felt guilty.
She finally confessed to the crime.
She admitted to being unfaithful.
Then you could see how they believed she wasn't out of her mind.
Others believed that she was not insane.
What kind of preacher could stoop low enough
He questioned the actions of the preacher.
To make love to some common whore?
He was surprised that the preacher would sleep with a prostitute.
What the hell's happening, Jesus Christ?
He continued questioning what was happening.
Ain't there nothing sacred no more?
He wondered if anything was still considered sacred.
(Repeat chorus 2x)
The chorus repeats twice, questioning if anything is sacred.
Contributed by Sarah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gtavtheavengergunnerlegend3340
Best country album most people will never hear
@rachet0708
You can't hardly find it. Spotify or YouTube will only allow certain songs. The best place to find it is in a Truck Stop CD bin.
@psd28
@@rachet0708 i got this CD, two of them now that i think of it. Im collecting all of these physical copies of politically incorrect stuff before its all gone
@harlisherriman1932
Xxx rated version
@keegancrable3538
I got both his underground and nothing sacred on vinyl off eBay
@ShitinWithNoBathroom
This is possibly the greatest piece of music ever played
@lancemontgomery5497
That is the best piece of music played
@glenvillesmall8684
It used to be the best.
@psd28
@@glenvillesmall8684 what changed?
@AlexLopez-tu7lo
I lost my virginity to this hit.