David Allen Coe
There are Outlaws, and then there’s David
While I consider myself a fan of many types of music, country music always finds itself in a funny spot. As with many styles with several sub-genres, I prefer some to others. What I am, however, a big fan of is Outlaw Country. The music of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and their contemporaries always spoke to me, including one particular artist whom I consider the real-deal outlaw in Outlaw Country, the late David Allen Coe.
The Wild Side Of Life
Born in Akron, Ohio, on September 6, 1939, Coe did not have an easy childhood. He spent much of his time in and out of reform schools and penitentiaries; he began writing songs in prison in 1963, making the move to Nashville in 1967 after finishing his time inside. (Of course, various legal troubles, divorces, and controversies followed him for the better part of his life, but that’s a whole blog.)
Though he found success as a recording artist, starting with 1970’s Penitentiary Blues, he gained considerable notoriety as a songwriter, with several of his songs being recorded by the likes of Tanya Tucker (“Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)”) and Johnny Paycheque (“Take This Job And Shove It”). He would also record songs written by other artists, some to great success, including “You Never Even Called Me By Name” (written by John Prine and Steve Goodman) and an early recording of "Tennessee Whiskey” (written by Dean Dillon and Linda Hargrove).
In all, Coe released 41 albums under his own name, dozens of singles, seven published books, and one unlikely collaboration with the guys in Pantera under the Rebel Meets Rebel name (a great album, by the way!). He passed away on April 29, 2026, at the age of 86.
Get Your Capos Out
Like most players, Coe played mostly open-position chords. If keys needed to be changed, using a capo provided the means to get the song in the key he needed while using chords and patterns that are familiar.
In this 1975 performance of “Cripple Creek,” Cole ties in a capo to the 3rd fret, allowing him to play this classic from The Band in Bb major while using the chords from G major.
Staying with the same live performance, he keeps the capo on the third fret for “Sweet Baby James,” playing chords in D major, though everything sounds transposed up to the song’s key of F major.
In this later take on “If That Ain’t Country,” Coe plays the song with a capo at the third fret, using G major chords to achieve the song's Bb major key.
If you want to copy Coe’s approach to these songs, a Thalia capo will certainly do the trick! Please have a look at our selections to find the one right for you!
Like Dolly, there will likely never be another David Allen Coe with that mix of story, swagger, and attitude. He was the true outlaw of Outlaw Country, and if that ain’t country…. Well, you know the rest.
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Kevin Daoust is a guitarist, guitar educator and writer based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. When not tracking guitars for artists around the world or writing music-related articles online, he can be seen on stage with Accordion-Funk legends Hey, Wow, the acoustic duo Chanté et Kev, rock n’ rollers Travelling South, and as a hired-gun guitarist across Quebec and Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
