''Nothing Sacred'' is the eleventh studio album by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

musician

David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly i ...

. Released in 1978, it is Coe's fourth independent album, after '' Penitentiary Blues'', '' Requiem for a Harlequin'' and ''Buckstone County Prison''. ''Nothing Sacred'' was noted for its profane and sexually explicit lyrics, and was released solely by mail order.

Background

In the late 1970s, Coe lived in

Key West, Florida Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Sigsbee Park, Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Isla ...

, and

Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer / songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended universit ...

played his album ''

Freakin' at the Freakers Ball ''Freakin' at the Freakers Ball'' is a studio album produced by Ron Haffkine written by Shel Silverstein originally released in 1972. The title track was covered by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show on an album titled ''Sloppy Seconds''. The tracks ...

'' for Coe, who proceeded to play a series of his own comedic songs. Silverstein encouraged him to record the songs, leading to the production of this album. ''Nothing Sacred'' was released as a mail order-only release, initially advertised in the back pages of the

biker Biker or bikie may refer to: * A cyclist, a bicycle rider or participant in cycling sports * A motorcyclist, any motorcycle rider or passenger, or participant in motorcycle sports ** A motorcycle club member, defined more narrowly than all motor ...

magazine ''

Easyriders ''Easyriders'' is an American motorcycle magazine, founded in 1970. It was published monthly by Paisano Publications for over 50 years. In addition to its coverage of motorcycles (particularly Harley-Davidsons) and related activities, ''Easyriders ...

''; another album of similar material, '' Underground Album'', followed in 1982. The lyrics of ''Nothing Sacred'' are profane, often sexually explicit and describe an orgy in Nashville's Centennial Park and sex with

pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...

star

Linda Lovelace Linda Lovelace (born Linda Susan Boreman; January 10, 1949 – April 22, 2002) was an American pornographic actress who became famous for her performance in the 1972 hardcore film '' Deep Throat''. Although the film was an enormous success, Bor ...

. The album also contains a song targeting

Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was th ...

, a musician notable for her strong opposition to LGBT rights, specifically her fight to repeal an LGBT

anti-discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...

ordinance in

Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...

. In the song, bluntly titled "Fuck Aneta Briant" , Coe calls out Bryant as being hypocritical for her opposition to the lifestyles of gay people, stating that "In fact Anita Bryant, some act just like you". The album also has a song criticizing

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffet ...

in response to a feud between the two musicians at the time. Buffett had accused Coe of plagiarizing the melody of "Divers Do It Deeper" from Buffett's "

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes ''Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes'' is the seventh studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. This is his breakthrough 1977 album, which remains the best-selling studio album of Buffett's career, and co ...

", stating "I would have sued him, but I didn't want to give Coe the pleasure of having his name in the paper." Coe wrote the song "Jimmy Buffett" in response, with Coe suggesting that he and Buffett "just both get drunk and screw".

Reception

The album was generally criticized as being profane and crude.

Neil Strauss Neil Darrow Strauss, also known by the pen names Style and Chris Powles, is an American author, journalist and ghostwriter. He is best known for his book '' The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists'', in which he describes his ...

described the album's material as "among the most racist, misogynist, homophobic and obscene songs recorded by a popular songwriter."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, which did not review the album, gave it three out of five stars.

Track listing

All songs written by

, except for "Cum Stains on the Pillow (Where Your Sweet Head Used To Be)", which was written by

Chinga Chavin Chinga Chavin is the stage name of American musician and advertising executive Nathan Allen "Nick" Chavin. Chavin released the album ''Country Porn'' in 1976 on Attic Records. Life and career Nick "Chinga" Chavin was born in 1944. He achieved consi ...

. #"Nothing Sacred" - 3:50 #"Pussy Whipped Again" - 3:29 #"Cum Stains on the Pillow (Where Your Sweet Head Used To Be)" (Chavin) - 3:20 #"Linda Lovelace" - 3:18 #"Fuck Aneta Briant" - 2:42 #"Jimmy Buffett" - 3:50 #"3 Biggest Lies" - 2:04 #"Whips And Things" - 3:59 #"Rails" - 2:09 #"Masterbation Blues" - 3:50

References

{{Authority control David Allan Coe albums 1978 albums Cultural depictions of Linda Lovelace LGBT-related controversies in music Race-related controversies in music Anti-black racism in the United States