In 1987, the David Allan Coe/Billy Sherrill partnership was still running strong, as evidenced by A Matter of Life and Death. Like many of DAC's recordings, this one is a concept record, full of "dedications and meditations." The inspiration behind its making was the passing of DAC's father, Donald Mahan Coe, the return home (on the day of his father's funeral) of his 16-year-old daughter from living with her mother for the majority of her life, and the birth of his and Jody Lynn's two children, Tyler and Tanya Montana DAC and Sherrill are particularly suited to each other on recordings like this. They serve to curb each other's excesses and rely on making sure the right songs come out of the mix, representing the emotional intention of the set rather than burying those songs under production or hyperbole. This set yielded some of the strongest DAC songs of the 1980s (and that's saying something): "Jody Like a Melody," "If Only Your Eyes Could Lie," and "The Ten Commandments of Love." And "Southern Star," with its searing lyric and screaming guitar solos, is among his most under-recognized, poetic tomes worthy of being recorded by .38 Special or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sherrill's sequencing is brilliant, and each song seems to segue into another, creating a kind of impressionistic narrative. Interestingly, this record sounds so outside the new traditionalist mold dominating Nash Vegas at the time that it was quickly lost to oblivion... despite the fact that it's a true traditional country record in the most strident use of the term. This is a fine if forgotten album. DAC may have had some hits, but it's records like this that make one wonder if there wasn't a conspiracy to marginalize him and make him fail. DAC is a brilliant songwriter well into the 21st century, and deserves to be lauded along with the likes of Nelson and Jennings and Kristofferson and Newbury... and even Cash.

Lyrics:

Jody Like A Melody
By David Allan Coe/ J. Lewis

JODY LIKE A MELODY PLAY INSIDE MY HEAD TILL THE THOUGHT OF YOU IS MORE THAN I CAN STAND JUST TO THINK OF HAVING YOU IS MUSIC TO MY SOUL YOU MAKE ME FEEL AS THOUGH THE WORLD IS IN MY HANDS

JODY LIKE A MELODY YOU WARM ME AND THEN LEAVE ME WITH A CHILL I CAN'T BELIEVE THE SUN WILL RISE WITHOUT ME LOOKING IN YOUR EYES AND KNOWING THAT YOUR LOVE HAS MADE ME STRONG WHY YOU LEFT I'LL NEVER KNOW THE FIRE YOU BUILT WILL ALWAYS GLOW I ONLY KNOW I WOKE TO FIND YOU GONE

JODY LIKE A MELODY YOU WARM ME AND THEN LEAVE ME WITH A CHILL JODY, I CAN'T KEEP MY THOUGHTS ABOUT ME IN THE DAYTIME WHEN YOUR MEMORY IS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME BLIND AND LATE AT NIGHT I LIE AWAKE AND WAIT FOR YOU TO COME AND WHEN YOU DON'T YOU KNOW I ALMOST LOSE MY MIND

JODY LIKE A MELODY YOU WARM ME AND THEN LEAVE ME WITH A CHILL JODY LIKE A MELODY...

Child of God
Your life laid down, crucified.
Your arms stretched out and open wide.
To rescue me so I can be a child of God.

From nail pierced hands and thorn pierced brow
Your blood flows down to me somehow.
It cleanses me so I can be a child of God.

Praise to the lamb that was slain
Praise to the Father who gave His son away

The proof of love, the price of grace
You traded all to take my place
And died for me so I can be a child of God

Praise to the lamb that was slain
Praise to the Father who gave His son away