David Allan Coe Follow

BETTY DROVE THE SEMI, SHE PULLED UP TO THE PUMP
I THOUGHT I WANTED A COCA-COLA AND I STARTED OUT ON THE JUMP
SHE SAID, "HOLD IT DAVE, COME QUICK, THERE'S SOMETHING YOU GOT TO SEE
THAT MAN HAS GOT A DANCING BEAR TIED UP TO THAT OLD TREE"

I SAID, "DANCE, DANCE, DAKOTA DANCE ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY STORE"
ME AND SWEET BETTY AIN'T NEVER SEEN
A BEAR THAT COULD DANCE BEFORE
WELL, IT'S ONE STEP, TWO STEPS, THREE STEPS FOUR
A BOTTLE OF SODA AND HE'LL DANCE SOME MORE
DANCE, DANCE DAKOTA DANCE ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY STORE

WELL, THESE HIPPIES WALKED UP TO THE CAGE
GIVING' PILLS TO THAT OLE BEAR
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS THEY WAS GIVING TO HIM
IT HAD HIM PULLING OUT HIS HAIR
I TRIED TO KEEP TIME WITH THE MUSIC,
LORD WITH THE BEAT ON MY TAMBOURINE
GAVE HIM SOME WINE FROM A MASON JAR AND WE ALL BEGAN TO SING

RECITATION:
WELL, I WENT OUT TO LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA AND I SAW A SEMI TRUCK ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT SAID 'DAKOTA THE DANCING BEAR' ON THE SIDE OF IT. NOW THEY CHARGED YOU 50 CENTS TO WATCH THIS BEAR DANCE AROUND A TRUCK. SO I TURNED TO ARLO AND I SAID "ARLO, WE OUGHT TO GET DOWN OFF THESE MOTORCYCLES AND WALK OVER THERE AND SEE IF THAT'S THE SAME BEAR THAT BETTY TOLD US ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING THE SEMI TRUCK FOR US BACK IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE." SO WE GOT DOWN OFF OUR MOTORCYCLES AND WE WALKED OVER THERE EATEN' OUR PICKLES. NOW THERE WAS FOUR OR FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THESE HIPPIES FREAKS STANDING' AROUND WAITING' ON A ROCK FESTIVAL. IT APPEARED THAT DAVID ALLAN COE, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON AND THE GRAND FUNK RAILROAD WAS PLAYING' IN TOWN THAT DAY AND THEIR AIRPLANE HAD GOT HIJACKED SOMEWHERE OVER CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SO IT TURNED OUT THAT THE PEOPLE WITH SHORT HAIR STARTED THROWING' ROCKS AT THE PEOPLE THAT HAD LONG HAIR. AND THE PEOPLE WITH LONG HAIR STARTED THROWIN THE ROCKS BACK.
that's how i come to learn when you go to a rock concert in los angeles.....you WERE SUPPOSED TO CARRY YOUR OWN ROCKS. WELL I WALKED UP TO THE BEAR'S CAGE AND BEAR LOOKED AND ME -AND HE SAID "I KNOW YOU --YOU'RE DAVID ALLAN COE AND THAT'S ARLO GUTHRIE THAT SINGS COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC ON JUKEBOX, RADIO, AND TELEVISION AND YA'LL GAVE ME SOME ACID WHEN I WAS IN NASHVILLE AND STARTED ME TO DANCIN AROUND THIS TRUCK." AND I SAID 'THAT'S RIGHT SON AND THAT 'S WHY I'M HERE BECAUSE YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT WITH ME AND YOU OWE ME TWENTY PERCENT OF ALL THE MONEY YOU BEEN MAKIN SINCE YOU BEEN OUT HERE ON THE ROAD. AND HE SAID "MAN, I AIN'T GOT NO MONEY." AND I SAID WHAT'D YOU DO WITH IT? WELL HE POINTED TO THE NEXT CAGE AND THERE WAS A FEMALE BEAR SHOOTIN UP HEROIN. AND BEFORE I COULD SAY ANYTHING, I TURNED AROUND AND I SAW THIS GREYHOUND BUS PAINTED BLACK AND WHITE AND IT SAID "THE DAVID ALLAN COE SHOW, THE MYSTERIOUS RHINESTONE COWBOY AND THE TENNESSEE HAT BAND" ON THE SIDE OF IT. AND THERE WAS A WOMAN DRIVIN THE BUS AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS OLD "PUSHER BETTY" AND SHE DIDN'T HAVE NO BRA ON. AND SHE SAID TO ME, SHE SAID...

HEY DAVE! COME HERE QUICK ...THERE'S SOMETHIN YOU GOTTA SEE
THAT MAN HAS GOT A DANCING BEAR TIED UP TO THAT OLD TREE
AND WE SANG...