Sung:
Well it was all that I could do to keep from cryin'.
Sometimes it seems so useless to remain.
But you don't have to call me darlin', darlin'.
You never even called me by my name.

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.

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.

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 judgement day.

So 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.

Spoken:
Well, a friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song. And he told
me it was the perfect country and western song. I wrote him back a letter
and I told him it was NOT the perfect country and western song, because
he hadn't said anything at all about momma, or trains, or trucks, or
Find more similar lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.com/H45prison, 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 and western song. And I felt obliged to include it on
this album. The last verse goes like this here:

Sung:
Well, I was drunk the day my mom got outta 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 runned over by a damned old train.

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me.
And I never minded standin' in the rain.
No, you don't have to call me darlin', darlin'.
You never even called me,
Well I wonder why you don't call me,
Why don't you ever call me by my name?
(Oooooooooo.)

YOU NEVER EVEN CALLED ME BY MY NAME
(Also known as: The Perfect Country & Western Song)
Written by: Steve Goodman & John Prine
Performed by: David Allan Coe1-1974
Albums: Once Upon A Rhyme-1974, Greatest Hits-1978, Encore-1981, For The
Record, 1985, Trucker's Jukebox: 10 All-Time Radio Requests (Various
Artists)-1990, 20 Greatest Hits-1994, The Perfect Country & Western
Song-1996, Live At Billy Bob's Texas-2003, At His Best-2005, The Very
Best of Outlaw Country (Various Artists)-2008, et al.

1Covered by: The Countdown Singers-2003, Distillery Dave-2006, et al.