You Never Even Called Me by My Name - wikipedia You Never Even Called Me by My Name `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' Single by David Allan Coe B - side `` Would You Lay with Me '' Released June 1975 Format 7 '' single, airplay Genre Outlaw Country, Country & Western Length 5 : 16 Label Columbia Nashville Songwriter ( s ) Steve Goodman John Prine ( uncredited ) Producer ( s ) Ron Bledsoe David Allan Coe singles chronology `` Would You Be My Lady '' ( 1975 ) `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' ( 1975 ) `` Longhaired Redneck '' ( 1975 ) `` Would You Be My Lady '' ( 1975 ) `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' ( 1975 ) `` Longhaired Redneck '' ( 1975 ) `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' is a song written and recorded by Steve Goodman and John Prine ; and recorded by country music singer David Allan Coe. It was the third single release of Coe 's career, included on his album Once Upon a Rhyme. The song was Coe 's 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. '' Contents 1 Content 2 Chart performance 3 Doug Supernaw version 3.1 Critical reception 3.2 Chart performance 4 References 5 External links Content The song is a satirical response and kiss - off to the country music industry in Nashville. Coe was an ideal choice to convey Steve Goodman 's message to the country music industry due to his non-conformist ( `` outlaw '' ) style ; Coe had little love for the Nashville industry. The country music industry of the era blatantly refused to acknowledge the writers ' and artist 's fringe style ; Goodman, despite success penning the folk - pop crossover `` City of New Orleans, '' was still considered an outsider and neophyte. Coe 's and Goodman 's response to Nashville was not to sell out ; the song name - drops Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride and Merle Haggard ( as well as his song `` The Fightin ' Side of Me ; '' Coe also uses loose impersonations of each artist in doing so ) and also makes reference to Faron Young 's `` Hello Walls '' in the background vocals, noting that `` you '' ( industry executives ) `` do n't have to call me '' any of those names anymore. In the third verse, Coe notes `` the only time I know I 'll hear David Allan Coe is when Jesus has his final Judgment Day, '' noting that he never expected the industry to recognize him by his individual merits. In a spoken epilogue preceding the song 's iconic closing verse, Coe explains that `` a friend of mine named Steve Goodman '' wrote the song and considered it `` the perfect country and western song ''. Coe, upon receiving the song, explained to Goodman that he was wrong, there was no way a song could be `` the perfect country and western song '' without mentioning a laundry list of clichés : `` mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or getting drunk. '' Goodman then proceeded to add the final verse, incorporating all five of Coe 's facetious `` requirements, '' whereupon Coe agreed that now it was `` the perfect country - and - western song '' and felt obliged to add it to the end of the record : I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison And I went to pick'er up in the rain But before I could get to the station in my pickup truck She got runned over by a damned ol ' train Goodman and Prine 's versions had a different list in the final verse. `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' is accompanied mainly by resonator guitar, pedal steel guitar and electric guitar. Chart performance `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' by David Allan Coe spent seventeen weeks on the Billboard country singles charts, peaking at number eight. Chart ( 1975 ) Peak position U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles 8 Canadian RPM Country Tracks Doug Supernaw version `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' Single by Doug Supernaw from the album Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind B - side `` State Fair '' Released August 1994 Format CD single, airplay Genre Country Length 4 : 04 Label BNA Songwriter ( s ) Steve Goodman John Prine ( uncredited ) Producer ( s ) Richard Landis Doug Supernaw singles chronology `` State Fair '' ( 1994 ) `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' ( 1994 ) `` What 'll You Do About Me '' ( 1995 ) `` State Fair '' ( 1994 ) `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' ( 1994 ) `` What 'll You Do About Me '' ( 1995 ) In 1994, Doug Supernaw recorded a cover version on his second studio album, Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind. Supernaw 's rendition features a guest vocal from Coe himself, as well as guest appearances by Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and Charley Pride, all of whom are mentioned in the original song 's second verse. It was the second single release from Supernaw 's album. Critical reception Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly considered Supernaw 's cover the `` most interesting '' cut on the album, but thought that it was in too high of a key for the guest vocalists involved. Chart performance This version spent seven weeks on the Billboard country charts, peaking at number 60. Only Supernaw was credited for it on the charts. Chart ( 1994 ) Peak position Canada Country Tracks ( RPM ) 68 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) 60 References ^ Jump up to : Whitburn, Joel ( 2008 ). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 98. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 177 - 2. ^ Jump up to : Whitburn, p. 412 ^ Jump up to : Nash, Alanna ( 23 September 1994 ). `` Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind review ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 14 February 2010. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Country Tracks : Issue 2625. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 17, 1994. Retrieved August 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Doug Supernaw Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics David Allan Coe Studio albums Penitentiary Blues Requiem for a Harlequin The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy Once Upon a Rhyme Longhaired Redneck Rides Again Texas Moon Tattoo Buckstone County Prison Family Album Nothing Sacred Human Emotions Compass Point Spectrum VII I 've Got Something to Say Encore Invictus ( Means ) Unconquered Tennessee Whiskey DAC Rough Rider Underground Album Castles in the Sand Hello in There Just Divorced Darlin ', Darlin ' Unchained Son of the South A Matter of Life and Death I Love Country Crazy Daddy 1990 Songs for Sale Standing Too Close to the Flames Johnny Cash Is a Friend of Mine Recommended for Airplay Long Haired Country Boy Songwriter of the Tear Country and Western Sings Merle Haggard Whoopsy Daisy Sings Johnny Cash 's Biggest Hits All I 'll Ever Be Rebel Meets Rebel DAC 's Back Live albums Live : If That Ai n't Country... Live at the Iron Horse Saloon Live at Billy Bob 's Texas Compilation albums Greatest Hits The Best of David Allan Coe 17 Greatest Hits For the Record : The First 10 Years 18 X-Rated Hits Biggest Hits Super Hits The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy / Once Upon a Time 20 Greatest Hits Longhaired Redneck / Rides Again The Original Outlaw Headed for the Country Best of the Best Compass Point / I 've Got Something to Say David Allan Coe, Johnny Paycheck & Others Human Emotions / Spectrum VII Invictus Means Unconquered / Tennessee Whiskey Tattoo / Family Album Lonesome Fugitive The Perfect Country and Western Song Truckin ' Outlaw Super Hits, Vol. 2 20 Road Music Hits 16 Biggest Hits Castles in the Sand / Once Upon a Rhyme The Original Outlaw of Country Music 20 All Time Greatest Hits Country Outlaw The Essential David Allan Coe Ultimate Collection For the Soul and for the Mind : Demos of ' 71 - ' 74 Castles in the Sand / Hello in There Just Divorced / Darlin ' Darlin ' : Plus Rough Rider / DAC : Plus Unchained / Son of the South : Plus At His Best The Ride Country Hit Parade Early Years Singles `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' `` Longhaired Redneck '' `` Stand by Your Man '' `` Tennessee Whiskey '' `` Dock of the Bay '' `` The Ride '' `` Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile '' `` She Used to Love Me a Lot '' `` I 'm Gonna Hurt Her on the Radio '' Related articles Discography Johnny Paycheck `` Would You Lay with Me ( In a Field of Stone ) '' `` Take This Job and Shove It '' Doug Supernaw Studio albums Red and Rio Grande Deep Thoughts from a Shallow Mind You Still Got Me Notable singles `` Reno '' `` I Do n't Call Him Daddy '' `` Red and Rio Grande '' `` You Never Even Called Me by My Name '' `` What 'll You Do About Me '' `` Not Enough Hours in the Night '' Relaled articles Phillip Supernaw Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=You_Never_Even_Called_Me_by_My_Name&oldid=804599610 '' Categories : 1975 singles 1994 singles Doug Supernaw songs David Allan Coe songs Songs written by John Prine Songs written by Steve Goodman Columbia Records singles BNA Records singles Song recordings produced by Richard Landis 1975 songs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canadacountry Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 10 October 2017, at 01 : 21. 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Question: who wrote the song you never even called me by my name
Answer: Steve Goodman