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."
Rock and Roll Holiday
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't look at me like you want me to plead
My friends are dyin' to make rock and roll stand
While we've been livin' in a country rock band
We've gotta slow down come down we got to get off of this merry-go-round
Where did you go Marilyn Monroe
If you see James Dean tell him I said hello
They're saving a place there for me and you
There's gonna be a rock and roll holiday
We've got to get there in time to play
Tune up the fiddle rosin the bow
We could be the only country band on a rock and roll show
We've got to get up no time to hit up
There's another crowd waiting for the music to play
Slow down come down don't take a ride on death's merry-go-round
David Allan Coe's "Rock and Roll Holiday" is a nostalgic song about the changing music scene of the time. The song reflects on the difficulties of being in a country rock band, as the singer's friends are focused on making rock and roll stand out. The lyrics of the song convey the feelings of the singer being lost in the ever-changing music scene. The song starts with a questioning tone, where the singer questions the presence of his audience and why they are in his band. The singer speaks about the need to slow down and come down, instead of being on the perpetual merry-go-round.
The song then takes an unusually solemn tone as the singer speaks about the deceased rockstars like Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Janis Joplin, and Jimmy. The singer tells the audience that the icons are saving a place for him and the audience to perform alongside them for a rock and roll holiday. The song's lyrics suggest that it is tough for the singer to keep up with the trend, and the rock and roll holiday is their only chance to shine. The final verse of the song appears to be a call for musicians to tune up their fiddles, rosin their bows, and perform for a waiting crowd before death.
Line by Line Meaning
Why did you come here what do you need
Questioning the intent of an individual's arrival
Don't look at me like you want me to plead
Refusing to beg for mercy through expression
My friends are dyin' to make rock and roll stand
Expressing a desire for rock and roll to endure
While we've been livin' in a country rock band
Living in a group that combines country and rock music
We've gotta slow down come down we got to get off of this merry-go-round
Urging the band to reduce the pace of their lifestyle
Where did you go Marilyn Monroe
Asking about the whereabouts of the famous actress
If you see James Dean tell him I said hello
Requesting an individual to greet the deceased actor
Janis sang here Jimmy did too
Noting the performances of artists at a particular location
They're saving a place there for me and you
Believing that there's a future for the singer and the listener
There's gonna be a rock and roll holiday
Anticipating a period of time devoted to rock and roll music
We've got to get there in time to play
Motivating the band to reach the event and perform on time
Tune up the fiddle rosin the bow
Preparing a stringed instrument for a performance
We could be the only country band on a rock and roll show
Speculating that the band may be the only country music representatives at the event
We've got to get up no time to hit up
Encouraging the band to quickly rise and get ready
There's another crowd waiting for the music to play
Indicating that people are eagerly anticipating the performance
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: D A COE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Esteban Davila
What a tune!!
Cayden B
It’s a dobro