You Never Even Called Me by My Name

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"You Never Even Called Me by My Name" is a song written by Steve Goodman and John Prine. Prine requested to be uncredited on the song, as he thought it was a "goofy, novelty song" and did not want to "offend the country music community". Goodman released the song on his eponymous 1971 debut album Steve Goodman to little acclaim. It was more famously recorded by country music singer David Allan Coe on his 1975 album Once Upon a Rhyme. It was the third single release of Coe's career and his 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."

On a WNEW-FM radio show, 1987. John Prine told his version of the story behind the song. He said that he and Goodman had recently scored their first recording contract in New York City and Paul Anka had been assigned to them as their manager. As a regular performer at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Anka had a grand luxury suite dedicated for his use as a dressing room. But since Anka already lived in New York he did not need it. So he let Goodman and Prine stay there to write music while they were in town. Prine says they raided the suite's full bar and "mixed a special cocktail punch" in the sink with "...Dom Perignon, a little bit of brandy, a little bit of Jack Daniels, quite a bit of Wild Turkey; and some vodka and gin; and some punch and 7up." So, the song was completed while they were wildly intoxicated.