And he was not going to sound like everyone else.
## The Rise of Outlaw Country
The 1970s brought a major shift in country music.
Artists associated with the outlaw movement began pushing back against the polished Nashville establishment.
Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings became central figures in that transformation.
Other musicians found their own ways of challenging the conventions of mainstream country.
Coe fit naturally into that world.
His music combined country with elements of blues and rock.
His lyrics could be funny, angry, emotional, crude, vulnerable, or confrontational.
Sometimes they were all of those things at once.
He was not trying to make himself universally acceptable.
In many ways, the refusal to fit neatly into a category became part of his appeal.
Billboard Canada noted that Coe was never a prolific mainstream hitmaker, but he accumulated eight Top 40 country singles and developed a devoted following that extended well beyond conventional country audiences.
That following would remain loyal for decades.
## “You Never Even Called Me by My Name”
Few songs are more closely associated with David Allan Coe than “You Never Even Called Me by My Name.”
The song was actually written by Steve Goodman, with an uncredited contribution from John Prine, but Coe’s recording became one of his signature performances.
The song became famous not only because of its melody and lyrics but because of its unforgettable sense of humor.
It played with the conventions of the perfect country song and eventually became a kind of joke about what a stereotypical country song should contain.
Coe embraced that humor.
