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."
Son Of The South
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm into Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Allman Brothers and David Allan Coe
I like Willie, Waylon, George, and Merle
And a lot of ZZ Top
They play country, soul, rock and roll
I really like Kid Rock
And I'm a redneck
A rock-n-roll son of the south
I don't like no new wave disco bands around
I'm gonna drink a couple dozen beers
Go out and jam some gears
I'm a long haired redneck rock-n-roll son of the south
I've got a 1965 Harley chopper
It sure makes those women stare
A dead flamingo wrapped around the cowboy hats I wear
I can cuss I can fight I can spit I can belch I can raise all kinds of hell
If you ride to live like I live to ride let me hear some rebel yells
Chorus
And I'm a redneck
A rock-n-roll son of the south
I don't like no new wave disco bands around
I'm gonna drink a couple dozen beers
Go out and jam some gears
I'm a long haired redneck rock-n-roll son of the south
I like my whiskey straight up
Daqueri just makes me ill
If someone touches my cowboy hat I get mad enough to kill
I got a rifle rack in my pickup truck
I'm a four wheelin' maniac
And if you want to race name the place
I'll show you where it's at mother fucker
Chorus
And I'm a redneck
A rock-n-roll son of the south
I don't like no new wave disco bands around
I'm gonna drink a couple dozen beers
Go out and jam some gears
I'm a long haired redneck rock-n-roll son of the south
I'm a long haired redneck rock-n-roll son of the south
I'm a long haired redneck rock-n-roll son of the south
The lyrics to David Allan Coe's song "Son Of The South" are an ode to southern pride and culture. The singer of the song identifies strongly with the musical and cultural traditions of the southern United States, and expresses a clear disdain for anything that deviates from those traditions. He names a number of influential southern musicians as his idols, from Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd to Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. The singer of the song is also proud to be rebellious and counter-culture, as exemplified in his long hair, cowboy hats, and Harley chopper. He values his guns and his pickup truck, and is quick to assert his masculinity in any situation.
Overall, the song is a celebration of southern identity and culture. It highlights the pride many southerners feel in their history and traditions, and the way in which music has served as an important element of that culture. At the same time, it also reinforces many of the stereotypes associated with southern culture, such as a love of drinking, fighting, and racing.
Line by Line Meaning
I like to play Hank Williams Jr. records just as loud as they will go
I enjoy listening to Hank Williams Jr. loudly on my music system.
I'm into Lynyrd Skynyrd
I like Lynyrd Skynyrd's music.
The Allman Brothers and David Allan Coe
I also like The Allman Brothers and David Allan Coe's music.
I like Willie, Waylon, George, and Merle
I'm a fan of country music icons such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, and Merle Haggard.
And a lot of ZZ Top
I'm also a fan of ZZ Top.
They play country, soul, rock and roll
I enjoy listening to music genres that combine country, soul, and rock and roll elements.
I really like Kid Rock
I'm a fan of Kid Rock's music.
Chorus
I'm a proud redneck and a rock-n-roll fan from the southern United States who enjoys partying, drinking, and driving fast.
And I'm a redneck
I identify as a redneck, which is a term used to describe working-class, rural white Americans who are proud of their southern heritage.
A rock-n-roll son of the south
I also enjoy listening to rock and roll music, which often incorporates elements of blues and soul music, and I'm from the southern United States.
I don't like no new wave disco bands around
I dislike new wave and disco music genres that gained popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
I'm gonna drink a couple dozen beers
I plan to drink many cans of beer.
Go out and jam some gears
I'm going to drive fast and shift gears in my car or truck.
I'm a long haired redneck rock-n-roll son of the south
I have long hair, which is a symbol of rock and roll musicians, but I'm still a proud redneck from the southern United States who enjoys listening to rock and roll music, partying, drinking, and driving fast.
I've got a 1965 Harley chopper
I own a customized motorcycle of the brand Harley-Davidson, that's made in the year 1965.
It sure makes those women stare
My motorcycle is attractive to women, and they often admire it.
A dead flamingo wrapped around the cowboy hats I wear
I wear a cowboy hat that's decorated with a dead flamingo's feathers.
I can cuss I can fight I can spit I can belch I can raise all kinds of hell
I'm a tough guy who can swear, brawl, spit, burp, and generally cause chaos and trouble.
If you ride to live like I live to ride let me hear some rebel yells
If you're someone who loves living a wild and free life similar to mine, then express it by yelling rebel yells to show solidarity.
I like my whiskey straight up
I prefer drinking undiluted whiskey without any mixers.
Daqueri just makes me ill
I dislike the taste of a cocktail named Daiquiri.
If someone touches my cowboy hat I get mad enough to kill
My cowboy hat is a prized possession, and any disrespect or mishandling of it may trigger my powerful anger that could be lethal.
I got a rifle rack in my pickup truck
I have installed a holder for my rifle in my pickup truck for easy accessibility.
I'm a four wheelin' maniac
I love driving my four-wheeler off-road at high speeds and pulling daring stunts.
And if you want to race name the place
If you're up for a race, then decide on a location, and I'll be ready to compete.
I'll show you where it's at mother fucker
I'm confident that I can win any race and therefore would take up anyone who dares to challenge me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RONALD BROOKS, DAVID ALLAN COE, TOM DELUCA, HAROLD E TIPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dr. Craphead
on Damn I Wish I Was a Nigger
The song is not by David Allan Coe
Niggerhatingme
on Nigger Hatin Me
I like sugar and I like tea
But I don't like niggers, no sir-e
There are two lone things that'll make me puke
That's a hog eating slop and a big black spook
You know it, 'cuz I show it
Like a barnyard rooster I crow it
And the NAACP would sure like to get
A hold of nigger hatin' me.
Roses are red and violets are blue
Niggers are black and you know that's true
But they don't mind 'cuz what the heck
You gotta' be black to get a welfare check.
.And I'm broke, no joke. I ain't got a nickle
For a coat and I ain't black you see, so Uncle
Sam won't help poor nigger hatin' me.
Jigga-boo Jigga-boo where are you? I was
Here on the woodpile watching you. Jigga-boo
Jigga-boo come outdoors. No! I'sa scared of the
White man way down south.
You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black
Head out and I blow it and the NAACP can't keep
You away from 'lil 'ol nigger hatin' me.
Mirror mirror on the wall who is the blackest
Of them all? A man named King it ain't no doubt
And he's causin' lots of trouble with his baboon
Mouth. Oh no it's he's a done it, caused by the
Trouble he's a brewin' and the NAACP can't win if
The white man stick with nigger hatin' me.
Hey Mr. President what'd ya say? When are we
Whites gonna have our day? The niggers've had
Theirs for such a long long time. I'm a white
And it's time that I had mine.
You know it, 'cuz I show it. Stick your black head
Out and I blow it and the NAACP can't win if the
White man stick with nigger hatin' me.
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
Nigger hatin me'
All true, how's the death count in chimpcago? https://heyjackass.com/
Ben - Moderator
on Nigger hatin me
Meaning of this line above has now been corrected
Matt
on Nigger hatin me
Who ever did the meaning lines is funny... woodpile is a real term, and when it says jig aboo come out doors, he imitates a poor sounding guy saying he's afraid of the racist whites from the south cuz if they even show themselves in public, they were a target. This is a bad song about the unspoken truth
cemegonuts
on You piss me off...you fuckin' jerk
This is not David Allen Coe. It is a song written by Gaye Delorme and performed by Garry Lee and Showdown.
Teresa Warnke
on Pick Em, Lick Em, Stick Em
Are there any decent constitutional lawyers in the house?
Mr. Coe has been barred from performing in most public forums.
He is one the last surviving Outlaws of country music. Although, Nigger Fucker has racist theme, Mr. Coe was defended by his life long friend, Charlie Pride, who inspired the song, all of his days. They were close friends until the end.
David Allen COE is elderly and we don't have long to have an opportunity to see him perform. What is more is that he deserves to use his constitutional right to free speech.
Some would like to have this song and many more that feel are offensive removed from existence. I am not a racist and recognize the foulness of the song, but, I am mature enough to turn off music or any other media that I don't like.
Personally, the Brian Adam's song, "Rum to You", makes me sick, as does Reba Macy tyre's, "Fancy" and "Whoever's in New England".
Ms. Macy tires songs if a mother pimping out her daughter and an abandoned housewife faithfully waiting for her man to return from fucking his mistress hurts women. The Brian Adam's song also hurts women. I do not for a minute believe that this music should never be heard again. It does provide opportunity to discuss these things with younger people.
I am going to delete my YouTube music account because they removed DAC for it's content. I did have much respect for YouTube for it's American spirit and patriotism even though the way they pay their talent is nonsensical. One deletion is a demonstration of what will follow. Eventually this could lead to less freedoms for all of us.
Please don't fall into the currant popular victim trend. Turn off music you don't like and get on with your day.
Or stand up to censorship of the arts.
Thank You,
Teresa Warnke
Rodan
on Cum Stains on the Pillow
Dribble it on her nose!
11inthemoney
on Itty Bitty Titty
Young sex is the best
11inthemoney
on Itty Bitty Titty
Shucks it's cool.
Rodan
on Cum Stains on the Pillow
Another AWESOME DAC song that makes me bellylaugh!!!