Country music has always been a bit obsessed with the working man’s struggle. But when we talk about the ultimate anthem for the disgruntled employee, Johnny Paycheck’s 1977 hit usually wins. What most people forget—or honestly, never knew—is that the song was actually written by the "Outlaw" himself, David Allan Coe. Years later, Coe decided he wasn't quite done with the narrative. He released David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too, a track that serves as a gritty, self-aware sequel to the most famous resignation letter in music history.
It’s a weird piece of history.
You have to understand the context of the late 70s and early 80s. The original song wasn't just a hit; it was a cultural explosion. It stayed at number one on the country charts for weeks and even crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100. It spoke to a specific kind of blue-collar rage. When David Allan Coe eventually recorded his own versions and follow-ups, like David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too, he wasn't just trying to cash in. He was reclaiming a legacy that many fans had mistakenly attributed entirely to Paycheck.
The Outlaw Reclaiming His Work
Most folks see a song title and a singer and assume they are one and the same. In the case of the original "Take This Job and Shove It," the world saw Johnny Paycheck. Coe was the pen behind the pain, though. He’s always been a polarizing figure in Nashville—a man who spent time in prison, wore rhinestones and leather simultaneously, and wrote some of the most beautiful (and occasionally most offensive) songs in the genre's history.
When David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too appeared, it felt like a meta-commentary. It’s Coe looking at the success of the first song and basically saying, "Yeah, I'm the guy who gave you those words." The track appears on his 1980 album I've Got Something to Say. It’s not just a carbon copy. It’s got that signature Coe grit. The production is a bit more polished than his rawest demos, but the sentiment remains as jagged as a broken beer bottle.
Why the Sequel Matters More Than You Think
Sequels in music are usually terrible. They feel desperate. But David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too works because it acknowledges the passage of time. The original was about the moment of snapping—the instant you tell the boss where to stick it. The "Too" version (and the various iterations Coe played live) often delved into what happens after you walk out that door.
Life doesn't just stop because you quit.
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Actually, the irony of the whole situation is that while the song became an anthem for the unemployed or the bravely quitting, it made Coe a very wealthy man. He didn't have to "shove it" anymore because the royalties were pouring in. This creates a fascinating tension in his later performances. You have a man who is now a country music icon singing about the struggles of a factory worker, yet he’s doing it from a place of immense creative success.
Breaking Down the Sound
The arrangement of David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too leans heavily into the Outlaw Country movement's tropes. Think heavy bass lines. Think about that distinctive, almost conversational vocal delivery that Coe perfected. He doesn't just sing lyrics; he tells you a story like he’s leaning over a bar counter at 2:00 AM.
The song features:
- A driving rhythm that mimics the monotony of manual labor.
- Sharp, stinging guitar licks that punctuate the frustration in the lyrics.
- Coe’s deep, resonant baritone which carries a weight that Paycheck’s higher-register snarl didn't always capture.
It's fundamentally a blues song disguised as country. That’s the secret sauce of David Allan Coe. He understood that the "working man's blues" wasn't just a catchy phrase—it was a literal musical structure.
The Confusion with the Movie
If you search for David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too, you’ll inevitably run into the 1981 film Take This Job and Shove It. It’s a classic of the era, starring Robert Hays and Art Carney. David Allan Coe actually has a role in it! He plays the character "Bull Rocket."
This is where the lines get blurry for a lot of fans.
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The movie used the song as its backbone, obviously. But Coe’s involvement in the film helped cement the "Too" version of the song in the public consciousness. He was everywhere. He was the writer, the singer of the sequel, and an actor in the cinematic adaptation. It was a total brand takeover before "branding" was a buzzword in Nashville.
The Complexity of David Allan Coe
We can't talk about David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too without acknowledging that Coe is a complicated figure. He’s the man who wrote "You Never Even Called Me by My Name," the "perfect country and western song." He’s also the man who released the unbelievably controversial "underground" albums that most mainstream stores wouldn't carry.
This duality is present in his music. He can be soulful and profound in one breath and then completely irreverent in the next. The "Take This Job" saga fits perfectly into this. It’s a middle finger to the establishment, which was Coe’s entire brand. Whether he was fighting with record labels or literal law enforcement, the song served as his personal manifesto.
Honestly, the sequel is almost a parody of the first, but played with a straight face. It’s David Allan Coe being David Allan Coe. He knew exactly what the audience wanted, and he gave it to them with a wink.
The Lasting Legacy of the "Shove It" Brand
Even today, in 2026, the phrase is part of the American lexicon. People who have never heard a David Allan Coe record in their lives use the phrase "take this job and shove it."
That’s a rare level of cultural penetration.
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The song David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too represents the moment when a songwriter decides to step out from the shadow of the performer who made his words famous. It’s a claim of ownership. When you listen to it now, it doesn't feel like a relic. It feels like a reminder that the frustration of the daily grind is universal and timeless.
How to Appreciate the Track Today
If you’re diving into Coe’s discography for the first time, don't just stop at the hits. Look for the live versions of David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too. Coe was notorious for changing lyrics on the fly, adding long-winded stories in the middle of songs, and generally making every performance a unique (and sometimes chaotic) event.
You should also:
- Compare the production of the 1980 studio version with the original 1977 Paycheck version.
- Notice the difference in the "swing" of the rhythm.
- Listen for the subtle ways Coe emphasizes different words to change the meaning of the "shove it" sentiment.
It’s a masterclass in how a songwriter interprets their own work after someone else has already defined it for the public.
Actionable Insights for Music History Buffs
To truly understand the impact of this track, you need to look beyond the audio. Here is how you can actually engage with this piece of country music history:
- Trace the Songwriting Credits: Go back through the early 70s albums of David Allan Coe like The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy. You’ll see the seeds of his blue-collar frustration being planted years before the 1977 hit.
- Watch the 1981 Film: See Coe’s performance as Bull Rocket. It provides a visual context to the "tough guy" persona that matches the energy of the sequel song.
- Listen to the "I've Got Something to Say" Album: This is where David Allan Coe Take This Job and Shove It Too lives. It’s arguably one of his most cohesive albums and shows him at the height of his mainstream-adjacent powers.
- Contextualize the "Outlaw" Label: Research the "Outlaw Country" movement involving Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. See how Coe’s "Take This Job" saga provided the working-class anthem that the movement needed to stay grounded.
The story of this song isn't just about a disgruntled worker. It’s about a songwriter claiming his throne. David Allan Coe knew that while Paycheck had the hit, he had the truth. And in the world of country music, the truth—no matter how rough or "shoved"—is the only thing that actually lasts.