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."
Old Man Tell Me
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The courthouse square back home in town
Talking bout the big war back in 1943
Sayin' how much good it's done
Medals gleamin' in the sun
Cussin' at my long hair
And my talk of bein' free
Of other wars has faded
Like the colors on the ribbons
From the battles that they've won
If there's one thing I've learned it's this
You just can't shake hands with a fist
And I once did my talkin' with a gun
And, old man, I know what you've seen
But yours is not the only dream
I have to believe in something more
Than yesterday
Let it die, just like the past
I believe there's hope at last
Old man, did you ever have to pray
Old man, can you show me the way
He shakes his head from time to time
And rambles somewhere in his mind
Mumbling 'bout the Civil War
And how we should have won
Settin' up his battle plans
On checkerboards at his command
Watchin' all his gallant kings
Go falling one by one
And son he'd say there's not much time
For you to straighten out your mind
But you never listen to
The things I try to say
And I just turn my head and cry
Never understanding why
He's set up that checkerboard
When he knew I couldn't play
In this song, David Allan Coe speaks of an old man he sees sitting around the courthouse square talking about the big war back in 1943. The old man talks about how much good the war has done and how the medals gleam in the sun. However, Coe's perspective of the old man is that he is living in the past and his vision, like his battle scars, has faded. Coe believes that the old man's idea of shaking hands with a fist is incorrect, as he once did his talking with a gun. Coe believes that there is something more than just yesterday and that there is hope at last. He asks the old man if he ever had to pray and requests him to show him the way.
The old man shakes his head from time to time and rambles somewhere in his mind, thinking back to the Civil War and how they should have won. The old man sets up his battle plans on checkerboards at his command, watching all his gallant kings fall. The old man would try to talk to Coe about straightening out his mind, but Coe never listened to the things he had to say. The final verse sees Coe turning his head and crying as he never understood why the old man set up the checkerboards, even though he knew Coe couldn't play.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen the old man sittin' 'round
The singer has seen the old man sit around.
The courthouse square back home in town
The old man sits at the courthouse back in town.
Talking bout the big war back in 1943
The old man talks about the war that happened in 1943.
Sayin' how much good it's done
He believes that the war has done a lot of good.
Medals gleamin' in the sun
The old man's medals are shining in the sun.
Cussin' at my long hair
The old man is cursing at the singer's long hair.
And my talk of bein' free
The old man doesn't like the singer's talk of being free.
Their vision like their battle scars
Their vision is fading away like their battle scars.
Of other wars has faded
The memories of other wars the old man fought in have faded.
Like the colors on the ribbons
Like the colors on the ribbons from the battles he's won.
From the battles that they've won
From the battles the old man and others have fought and won.
If there's one thing I've learned it's this
The artist has learned one thing.
You just can't shake hands with a fist
It's impossible to shake hands with a fist.
And I once did my talkin' with a gun
The singer used to communicate with a gun.
And, old man, I know what you've seen
The singer understands what the old man has seen.
But yours is not the only dream
The old man's dreams are not the only ones that matter.
I have to believe in something more
The artist needs to believe in something more.
Than yesterday
The singer wants to believe in something better than the past.
Let it die, just like the past
The singer wants to let the past die.
I believe there's hope at last
The artist believes there's finally hope.
Old man, did you ever have to pray
The artist wants to know if the old man has ever had to pray.
Old man, can you show me the way
The artist wants the old man to show him the way.
He shakes his head from time to time
The old man shakes his head occasionally.
And rambles somewhere in his mind
The old man is lost in thought sometimes.
Mumbling 'bout the Civil War
The old man sometimes mumbles about the Civil War.
And how we should have won
The old man believes that they should have won the Civil War.
Settin' up his battle plans
The old man sets up his battle plans.
On checkerboards at his command
He uses checkerboards to plan his battles.
Watchin' all his gallant kings
He watches all the gallant kings.
Go falling one by one
They all fall one by one.
And son he'd say there's not much time
The old man would say that there isn't much time.
For you to straighten out your mind
He tells the artist to straighten out his mind.
But you never listen to
The artist never listens to him.
The things I try to say
The old man tries to say something, but the artist doesn't listen.
And I just turn my head and cry
The singer turns his head and cries.
Never understanding why
The artist never understands why he cries.
He's set up that checkerboard
The old man sets up the checkerboard to plan his battles.
When he knew I couldn't play
The old man knew that the singer couldn't play the game.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BUZZ RABIN, DAVID ALLAN COE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nice bro
I wish the whole world would just sit down and really pay attention to the song. The pain is unbearable but so beautiful
Daniel Catoe
I miss my dad so much there were alot of times i took him for granted for now i regret with all my heart. He was the kindest most giving person i ever met even when he had nothing left to give he would give you the shirt off his back. He went through hell and back pretty much his whole life and showed heart and class the whole way.Alztheimers dimentia whatever the fuck they wanna call it is a horrible vile demon but my dad gave it a hell of a run for its $ the whole time he fought it. You are my hero dad i will always be in your shadow and you will always be my hero the rest of my life i just want to make you proud and make it to heave to be with you.
Desi H
@common name yeah I lost my dad back in November 2020 from a motorcycle accident, I'm turning 15 this year and I miss him so much
common name
You and me both brother.
They say a lifetime on earth is only day in heaven.for them they will see us tomorrow.
Oliver Henk
Hell yea brother, you are not alone, I’m goin through the same shit
Insignificant Rube
Jesse Lee Peterson would say "forgive em all" but I say "dick em down and drain a ball" ..
jamie ryan
Very well said. I feel the same. Listen to sturgill Simpson song give all you can. You'll find him in that song. My father was the same way.
BeatniKkers
Beautiful song, it's unbelievable actually.
Dixie Den
DAC is one of those rowdy outlaw guys, that gave us awesome music and will continue to do it. Shame todays music isn't this powerful. Lefty Frizzell started it and then wel listen.. Dac sounds like Merle in a few of his songs.
Anthony Haddix
W