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."
The Fish Aren
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turn this ship around boys, before we run aground
The fish aren't biting today boys, fish aren't biting today
I'm gonna lay on my bunk and get drunk as a skunk
?Cause the fish aren't biting today
There's six foot waves and my stomach craves
Some good old Antiguan rum
And the rain she's starting to come now
There's a northern wind and the lights are dim
Like a good fresh Cuban cigar
I got me a hutch where there might be a bunch
In the Captions pickle jar, so
The lyrics of David Allan Coe's song The Fish Aren't Bitin' Today express the discontent and disappointment of the singer, who is on a fishing expedition that is not going as planned. The tone of the song is one of frustration and resignation, as the singer urges his fellow sailors to take down the jib sail and turn the ship around before they run aground. He then laments the fact that the fish are not biting, and decides to resign himself to spending the day in his bunk, drinking heavily to pass the time. The feeling of discontent is further reflected in the reference to the rough waves and the stormy weather, as well as the singer's craving for Antiguan rum.
Line by Line Meaning
Take the jib sail down boys, take the jib sail down
Let's lower the jib sail as we need to change our direction
Turn this ship around boys, before we run aground
We need to change our course before we hit the shore
The fish aren't biting today boys, fish aren't biting today
We're not having any luck catching fish today
I'm gonna lay on my bunk and get drunk as a skunk
I'm going to lie down on my bed and drink alcohol until I pass out
?Cause the fish aren't biting today
The reason I'm drinking is because we're not having any luck with fishing
There's six foot waves and my stomach craves
The waves are high and I'm feeling nauseous
Some good old Antiguan rum
I'm going to drink some rum from Antigua
I put some away for a rainy day
I had saved some rum for a bad day like today
And the rain she's starting to come now
It's starting to rain now
There's a northern wind and the lights are dim
There's a cool breeze and the lights are not very bright
Like a good fresh Cuban cigar
I'm smoking a fresh cigar from Cuba
I got me a hutch where there might be a bunch
I have a place where I might find some cigars
In the Captions pickle jar
The jar belonged to the ship's captain and I kept my cigars in it
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID ALLAN COE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@derekmartinez7134
I think its safe to say Last Man On Earth kills it with their song selection
@devilbooster1082
Derek Martinez amen to that
@intrepiddevildog
Looks Like they Nailed it with a Virus in 2020. Hope it doesn't end like the show.
@masonsdungeon3754
THATS EXACTLY WHAT I SAID
@camrennik9512
exactly the reason I’ve been playing this song on repeat! Tandy for prez! Lol
@carsonjenkins8902
That’s why I’m here
@zach32889
All time favorite country singer
@born321
Who has the audacity to actually give this a thumbs down????!?!!! 😤😤😤
@garyhenderson7741
a genius but also an outlaw. we are lucky to have him.
@308winmag
Songs been stuck in my head for bout 4 days now, don't mind it though