Requiem for a Harlequin


Requiem for a Harlequin is the second album released by David Allan Coe. It was released in 1973 on SSS International Records. There are no track names; side one was simply named, "The Beginning" and side two, "The End".
This is a concept album in which Coe repeatedly uses the phrase "Asphalt Jungle" to describe the life he grew up in. Reoccurring themes include hard tales of life, love, relationships, The Civil Rights Movement, 60's Counter Culture ideology, and modern society. The record is entirely spoken word with backing musical style encompassing a wide variety of genres including Rock and Roll, Blues, Folk, and Gospel.
The liner notes on the back of the album cover describe how David Allan Coe and his foster father, Jack, wrote the lyrics to the album serving time in a maximum security block in an Ohio prison.

Reception

Kylo-Patrick R. Hart wrote that Requiem for a Harlequin "further solidified Coe as a talented songwriter."

Track listing

All songs written by David Allan Coe
  1. "The Beginning" - 15:59
  2. "The End" - 15:40