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."
Ride Me Down Easy
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Easy go
And easy to love when I stay
This old highway
Is hotter than nine kinds of hell
And the rice is as scarce as the rain
When you're down to you last shuck
And you're too far away from the train
It's been a good month of Sundays
And a guitar ago
I had a tall drink of yesterday's wine
Left a long line of friends
Some sheets in the wind
And some satisfied women behind
Hey ride me down easy Lord
Ride me on down
Leave word in the dust where I lay
Say I'm easy come
Easy go
And easy to love when I stay
Alright
I've seen fire on the mountain
I raised hell on the hill
I locked horns with the devil himself
I've been a rodeo bum
I'm a son of a gun
And a hobo with stars in his crown
So won't you ride me down easy Lord
Ride me on down
Leave word in the dust where I lay
Say I'm easy come
Easy go
And easy to love when I stay
Well won't you ride me down easy Lord
Ride me on down
Leave word in the dust where I lay
Say I'm easy come
Easy go
And easy to love when I stay
Well won't you ride me down easy Lord
Ride Me Down Easy by David Allan Coe is a song that is about a man's journey on the highway and all of the experiences that come with it. The lyrics, "Say I'm easy come, easy go, and easy to love when I stay" reflect the man's mentality towards life. He is not easily affected by anything, and he is easy to love when he stays in one place for a while. However, when he moves around, it is not always easy for him to be loved.
The first stanza talks about the difficulty of life on the highway. The man is low on supplies and far away from any help. He has nothing to sell, and the journey is tough. The second stanza talks about the man's wild past. He has been involved in fights, raised hell, and locked horns with the devil himself. Despite his troubled past, the man hopes that the Lord will help him out in his time of need.
Overall, the song reflects a weary traveler's experiences and is a commentary on life's hardships. It encourages people to take life in stride and not be affected by the negative things that happen along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Say I'm easy come
I'm easy to get, I'm uncomplicated
Easy go
Also means I'm easy to lose
And easy to love when I stay
But I'm a loyal and loving person, my commitment is valuable
This old highway
The road of life that I journey upon
Is hotter than nine kinds of hell
It's rough out there, this journey can be extremely difficult
And the rice is as scarce as the rain
Resources are scarce and unpredictable
When you're down to you last shuck
When you're left with nothing
With nothing to sell
Broke and with no valuable skills
And you're too far away from the train
Missing opportunities, unable to catch up with others
It's been a good month of Sundays
It's been a long time since I've been happy
And a guitar ago
It's been so long that can't accurately remember how long it's been
I had a tall drink of yesterday's wine
I enjoyed my past experiences, especially with alcohol
Left a long line of friends
I've had lots of friends in the past
Some sheets in the wind
Some of these experiences were while I was drunk
And some satisfied women behind
I've earned the love of some women in the past
Hey ride me down easy Lord
Please make my journey to rest and death easy
Ride me on down
Take me away, to my final destination
Leave word in the dust where I lay
Let others know about me so that they remember me when I'm gone
I've seen fire on the mountain
I've been through many difficult times
I raised hell on the hill
I've behaved recklessly and created trouble in the past
I locked horns with the devil himself
I've struggled against evil external forces
I've been a rodeo bum
I've been successful with jobs that require transient labor
I'm a son of a gun
I have a wild streak, a bit of a rebel
And a hobo with stars in his crown
I am a king of my own journey, regardless of my transient lifestyle
Well won't you ride me down easy Lord
Please make my transition easeful and peaceful
Well won't you ride me down easy Lord
Repeated reference requesting a simple passage to the lord
Say I'm easy come
Reference to the first line - I'm uncomplicated and easy to deal with in death
Easy go
Reference to the second line - It won't matter anymore that I'm easy to lose
And easy to love when I stay
Reference to the third line - It was worth it because I'm a loving person
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Shaver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@octoan
Hope they play this at my funeral someday.
@Actuallyabt7nckevns
Play it at my funeral
@markobrien690
The fiddle makes this the best version.
@tomstark8529
What a song!
@tylerswart9021
Hear his spurs kicking
@archstanton126
Easy to love, when i stay