David Allan Coe – You Never Even Called Me by My Name

“You Never Even Called Me by My Name” is a song written by Steve Goodman and John Prine. Prine requested to be uncredited on the song, as he thought it was a “goofy, novelty song” and didn’t want to “offend the country music community”. Goodman released the song on his eponymous 1971 debut album Steve Goodman to little acclaim. It was more famously recorded by country music singer David Allan Coe on his 1975 album Once Upon a Rhyme. It was the third single release of Coe’s career and his first Top Ten hit, reaching a peak of number eight on the Billboard country singles charts. The song, over five minutes long, is known for its humorous self-description as “the perfect country and western song.”

You Never Even Called Me by My Name
Single by David Allan Coe
Album “Once Upon a Rhyme”
B-side “Would You Lay with Me (In a Field Of Stone?)”
Released June 1975
Genre Outlaw Country, Country & Western
Length 5:16
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Steve Goodman John Prine (uncredited)
Producer(s) Ron Bledsoe

COUNTRYPEDIA

David Allan Coe – You Never Even Called Me by My Name lyrics

[Verse 1]
Well, it was all, that I could do to keep from cryin’
Sometimes it seemed so useless to remain
But you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’
You never even call me by my name

[Verse 2]
You don’t have to call me Waylon Jennings
And you don’t have to call me Charlie Pride
And you don’t have to call me Merle Haggard anymore
Even though you’re on my fightin’ side

[Chorus]
And I’ll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin’ in the rain
But you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’
You never even called me by my name

[Verse 3]
Well, I’ve heard my name a few times in your phone book (hello, hello)
And I’ve seen it on signs where I’ve played
But the only time I know I’ll hear “David Allan Coe”
Is when Jesus has his final judgment day

[Chorus]
And I’ll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin’ in the rain
But you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’
You never even called me by my name
[Recitation]

Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song
And he told me it was the perfect country & western song
I wrote him back a letter and I told him it was not the perfect country & western song
Because he hadn’t said anything at all about mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or gettin’ drunk
Well he sat down and wrote another verse to the song and he sent it to me
And after reading it I realized that my friend had written the perfect country & western song
And I felt obliged to include it on this album
The last verse goes like this here:

[Verse 4]
Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison
And I went to pick her up in the rain
But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got run over by a damned old train

[Chorus]
And I’ll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standin’ in the rain
No, an’ you don’t have to call me darlin’, darlin’
You never even call me
Well, I wonder why you don’t call me
Why don’t you ever call me by my name

GENIUS