Toby Keith, a beloved country singer, passed away at the age of 62 on Feb. 5 from stomach cancer. An influential, personal and funny song writer known by people around the world, not just in America, Keith had many hits throughout his career and left a lasting legacy. Many recognize some of his most popular song titles, such as “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” known even by those who wouldn’t otherwise listen to country music. In honor of his life and positive influences on the world of country music, these are my favorite songs by him.
1. Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)
In remembrance of the devastating attack on 9/11, Keith wrote “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” as a message to all Americans. Showing appreciation for American soldiers, his grief over the tragedy, and a courageous blow of anger to go along with it, Keith gives a highly patriotic performance in this song. This song is my favorite of his because of impactful lines such as “when we see Old Glory flying, there’s a lot of men dead, so we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head” and “my daddy served in the Army, where he lost his right eye, but he flew a flag out in our yard until the day that he died.” It also succeeds at showing an inspiring strength in such a dark time with verses like “when you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell, and it feels like the whole wide world is raining down on you, brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue.” It makes me feel inspired and patriotic while listening to it, something few other songs can do.
2. Red Solo Cup
A bright, fun bar song, “Red Solo Cup” is my second favorite song by Keith but is not far off from the first. Though not as meaningful or impactful as many of his other songs, its “silliness” is the largest factor in what makes it such a great song. It’s delivered in a hilarious way as Keith spends the entire song fawning over how amazing red solo cups are with lines such as “you are the Abbott to my Costello and you are the Fruit to my Loom,” “red solo cup, you’re not just a cup, you’re my friend” and, repeatedly, “I love you, red solo cup.” It’s the type of song that you can sing as poorly as you want and just have a good time with, and its only real downfall is the fact that it’s one of the few songs sung by Keith that he didn’t actually write.
3. American Soldier
“American Soldier” is one of Keith’s more touching songs, being dedicated to the troops fighting and sacrificing for the protection of this country and to show his care to them and their families. Listeners can feel the weight of many soldiers’ sacrifices while listening to Keith’s words, “I’m just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a son,” “I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway” and “I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long.” Though it doesn’t have the same upbeat feeling to it that’s enjoyable in some of his other songs, nor does it create the same “angry American” feeling in “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”, listening to it inspires both sympathy for the soldiers and their families, as well as patriotism and recognition of what is given up for our freedom. After all, an “American Soldier” understands that, “…if dyin’s asked of me, I’ll bear that cross with honor ‘cause freedom don’t come free.”
4. Who’s That Man
Though not one of his popular songs, “Who’s That Man” is still one of my favorites. Keith began writing it as a joke about what you get when you play a country song backwards, where all the bad things will turn back into the good things the song started out with. In the process, however, Keith realized there was a way to make the song emotional, and did so. Focusing on a man who had a divorce with his wife, and with lyrics representing his thoughts as he drives down the road he used to live on and watches the house and family he once was a part of, Keith sings heartbreaking words like, “I know this boulevard much too well, it hasn’t changed much since I’ve been gone, this used to be my way home,” “that’s my house and that’s my car, that’s my dog and my backyard,” and “there’s my kids and that’s my wife, but who’s that man running my life?” This song can be hard for some to listen to, especially those who’ve experienced divorce, but it’s a beautiful song and has a very nice sound to it.
5. How Do You Like Me Now?!
Speaking to the female valedictorian from his high school who ignored him as he tried to gain her attention and made fun of him for his dreams to make it big in the country music world, Keith co-wrote this song with Chuck Cannon to show off how far he’d gotten and why she shouldn’t have doubted him. It’s a fun listen with lines like “I couldn’t make you love me, but I always dreamed about livin’ in your radio, how do you like me now?” and “When I took off to Tennessee, I heard that you made fun of me, never imagined I’d make it this far,” showing his success to the woman. It’s not as impactful as many of his other songs and isn’t nearly as nice to listen to, but it’s very easy to get into the song and feel the passion that Keith has as he lists off the mistakes she made in ignoring him, the poor choice in her marriage that led to her life going down hill, and how well off he became.
Though this lists what I consider to be his best songs, Keith published many amazing pieces in his time. He’s become an important figure in the world of country music, as well as outside of it, and will go down in history for his relatable, well-written songs covering all aspects of life. Keith will be missed by many, and it’s only appropriate to thank him for what he’s provided to the country with his humanity and songs, as well as offer condolences to his loved ones during this time.
To listen to these five songs on Spotify, click here.
