David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly in the blues style, before transitioning to country music, becoming a major part of the 1970s outlaw country scene. His biggest hits were "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile", "The Ride", "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", "She Used to Love Me a Lot", and "Longhaired Redneck". His most popular songs performed by others are the number-one hits "Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)" sung by Tanya Tucker and Johnny Paycheck's rendition of "Take This Job and Shove It". The latter inspired the movie of the same name.

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."

Voices
David Allan Coe Lyrics

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I'll always love you
I will till the day that I die

You broke your promise
And left me alone with a lie

I'll never hurt you
You said that so many times, so many times

Maybe the bottle's the answer
Well it hasn't helped much this time

You just can't hide
A love that has died
But I've buried it
Deep in my mind

I'll always love you
I will till the day that I die

You broke your promise
And left me alone with a lie

But I'll never hurt you
You said that so many times, so many times

There's nothing left but your memory
That's all that matters sometimes
That can't go on, I'm not that strong
Maybe you're losing your mind

I'll always love you
I will till the day that I die

You broke your promise
You left me alone with a lie

But I'll never hurt you
Honey, you said that so many times, so many times

I'm hearing voices inside me
You're probably crazy by now

No, leave me alone, I can't go on
You'll learn to make it somehow

I'll always love you
I will till the day that I die

You broke your promise
And left me alone with a lie

But I'll never hurt you

You said that so many times, so many times
And I'm hearing voices inside me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Voices" by David Allan Coe deeply explore the emotional turmoil of a failed relationship. The singer's enduring love for their former partner is juxtaposed with the pain and betrayal they feel after being lied to and left alone. The repetition of the phrase "you said that so many times" highlights the frustration and disbelief they feel toward their partner's broken promises, which sharply contrasts with their own vow never to hurt them.

The metaphor of the bottle as the answer is a common one in country music and highlights the singer's struggle with addiction as they try to cope with their heartbreak. The line "there's nothing left but your memory, that's all that matters sometimes" speaks to the enduring power of love and the memory of a lost relationship, even as the singer grapples with the reality of their situation. The repeated refrain of "I'll always love you, I will till the day that I die" underscores the intensity of the singer's emotions and their inability to fully let go of their former partner.

Overall, the lyrics of "Voices" convey a complex mix of love, pain, and betrayal that will resonate with anyone who has experienced the end of a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll always love you
My love for you is unwavering

I will till the day that I die
My love for you will never cease

You broke your promise
You failed to keep your word

And left me alone with a lie
You abandoned me with a falsehood

I'll never hurt you
I vow to never cause you pain

You said that so many times, so many times
You've made that promise repeatedly

Maybe the bottle's the answer
Alcohol may be the solution

Well it hasn't helped much this time
But it hasn't been very effective

You just can't hide
It's impossible to conceal

A love that has died
Our love is dead

But I've buried it
I've suppressed it