Real Country Music

Thursday, May 05, 2005

David Allen Coe

There's some discussion going on (sort of) about David Allen Coe on a message board I've been checking out. Hmmm...quite a dilemma.

There's no doubt that he did some very racist stuff back in the day. Most of it is considered underground or banned. I think he's since said publicly that he doesn't feel that way any more. Is that true, or just what he needs to say publicly? Well, I guess only he knows for sure.


I can understand folks not wanting to support that, and I can't argue with it. I guess I tend to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, forgive and forget type of thing. However, I've never paid to see him live and never will.

Bottom line is that you can't deny that the guy made a contribution. I still see him as sort of a Willie/Waylon wannabe--"Willie, Waylon, and Me" seems like an effort to cash in by grouping himself in with them. Even worse are the frat-boy wannabes who sing "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" at the top of their lungs.

I really hate it that he uses the "N" word in one of my favorite songs of his, "If That Ain't Country," even though I guess you could argue that it's not really that derogatory in the context. What really sucks is that the guy wrote some really good songs, and it's overshadowed a lot by a bunch of ignorant stuff he included in other songs.

"The Ride," "Long Haired Redneck," "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile," "Would You Lay With Me (in a Field of Stone)" are all incredible songs.

Even the X-rated stuff is pretty funny sans the racism. My favorite is "Whip and Things."

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