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 Punkin Center Barn Dance
David Allan Coe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me and fate had left that state before his corpse got cold
He'd been killed for gold hhen California could be sold
To any fool who had been told bbout the Punkin Center Barn Dance
Mama had the fever and my daddy sold his soul
To someone called the devil that he'd met along life's road
Dad would stop to drink a toast and mom was looking like a ghost
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance that's where everyone would be
Dancing to Virginia's reel and the waltz of Tennessee
When the roll is called up yonder you can hear the angels sing
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance God is gold the grass is green
Yeah I left California just before the Grateful Dead
Told the truth about the gold I'd searched for in my head
Like my Dad I'd roamed the land and Mom could never understand
How Lucifer could bring a man to the Punkin Center Barn Dance
Well times are changin' poets say since mom and dad both passed away
But some things in this life will never change
The poets write of things to come the earth will melt into the sun
And you and I will be the ones at the Punkin Center Barn Dance
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance...
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance...
David Allan Coe's song, The Punkin Center Barn Dance, tells the story of a family's journey to California in search of gold. The singer explains how his mother had a fever and how his father had sold his soul to the devil. The family was racing to California, hoping to make it to the legendary "Punkin Center Barn Dance," where they believed they would strike it rich.
The song begins with Coe describing a man who came from Kentucky who had been killed for gold when California was still considered a commodity. The singer and his family had already left Kentucky by this time, but they had heard stories of the Punkin Center Barn Dance and the gold that awaited them there. The singer explains how they encountered all kinds of difficult circumstances during their journey, including his mother's fever and his father's love for alcohol, but they pressed on towards the Punkin Center Barn Dance. The song ends with the singer reflecting on the inevitability of change, but also how some things, such as the Punkin Center Barn Dance, will never change.
The lyrics of The Punkin Center Barn Dance have an underlying message that speaks to the American dream of striking it rich. The song highlights the lengths that some people will go to in search of wealth and the allure of perceived easy money. The narrative of the song remains relevant today, as people continue to pursue their dreams despite the risks involved.
Line by Line Meaning
He came from Kentucky least ways that's what I've been told
I heard that he was from Kentucky, but I'm not really sure.
Me and fate had left that state before his corpse got cold
I had already left Kentucky before he died.
He'd been killed for gold hhen California could be sold
He was killed because he had gold when California was being advertised as a place for anyone to get rich.
To any fool who had been told bbout the Punkin Center Barn Dance
Anyone who knew about the Punkin Center Barn Dance was considered a fool.
Mama had the fever and my daddy sold his soul
My mom was sick and my dad did something terrible to try and help her.
To someone called the devil that he'd met along life's road
He made a deal with the devil to try and save my mom.
Dad would stop to drink a toast and mom was looking like a ghost
My dad would stop to drink while we were traveling and my mom was very sickly.
Was gonna beat us to the coast and the Punkin Center Barn Dance
We were on our way to the Punkin Center Barn Dance, but my mom was so sick that she might not make it there.
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance that's where everyone would be
The Punkin Center Barn Dance was the place where everyone went to dance.
Dancing to Virginia's reel and the waltz of Tennessee
People were dancing to traditional dances from Virginia and Tennessee.
When the roll is called up yonder you can hear the angels sing
There was a religious aspect to the Punkin Center Barn Dance.
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance God is gold the grass is green
The Punkin Center Barn Dance was a heavenly place where everything was good.
Yeah I left California just before the Grateful Dead
I left California before the Grateful Dead became popular.
Told the truth about the gold I'd searched for in my head
I told the truth about the fact that I had not really found any gold.
Like my Dad I'd roamed the land and Mom could never understand
Like my dad, I traveled around a lot and my mom could never keep up with us.
How Lucifer could bring a man to the Punkin Center Barn Dance
My mom could not understand how someone named Lucifer could lead someone to a heavenly place like the Punkin Center Barn Dance.
Well times are changin' poets say since mom and dad both passed away
Things are different now that my parents are gone.
But some things in this life will never change
Some things will always stay the same.
The poets write of things to come the earth will melt into the sun
Poets talk about the future when the earth will be destroyed.
And you and I will be the ones at the Punkin Center Barn Dance
But we will still be at the Punkin Center Barn Dance even then.
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance...
At the Punkin Center Barn Dance...
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ALLAN COE, LONNIE RAY DEARMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Deborah Pannell
I love the flow of one song to the next on this album....
Jon Klassen
Yup
Remdog 64
This is one of my favorite songs from david allan coe
Jason Paul
Just bought this on vinyl. Can't wait to play it.
Sarge088
I feel like he's tryna say somethin besides punkin? lol