By Michal Pietrzak
Toby Keith is many things, he’s a singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, patriot, and a great entertainer. He’s released 19 studio albums, 200+ songs. Like life, his songs vary from love records, through sad and funny to beer drinking and partying tracks.
Keith recently announced his 2020 tour called Country Comes To Town which starts in late March and ends in early September.
He’s given us many great and well-known songs like “Red Solo Cup”, “American Soldier” “Should’ve Been a Cowboy”, “As Good As I Once Was”, “How Do You Like Me Now” and many more but do you remember songs like “Victoria’s Secret” (you might), “New Orleans”, “Just The Guy To Do It” or “Mama Come Quick”? Let’s take a look back at some of his lesser-known tracks.
10. “Mama Come Quick” – No matter how old you are, when things go wrong you always turn to mom for help, advice or words of understanding. Parents are the only people who love you unconditionally. This is a perfect song for Mother’s Day. “Mama come quick I think I fell/ And hurt myself again/ Mama come quick you know too well/ How much I still depend on you”
9. “New Orleans” – Life writes the best lyrics and this record proves it. It isn’t just a song it’s four verse story about love with a happy ending. Life isn’t always easy, sometimes you have to cut yourself off from troubled past, move on and find happiness. A little act of kindness can alter your whole world and make you feel better. “She was obviously lost but too afraid to ask directions/ So he offered her a smile and a stick of Beech-Nut gum/ He said where you headed to girl, where are you coming from/ She said/ New Orleans but that’s another story/ New Orleans that’s another time/ That’s another town, That’s another life”
8. “Life Was a Play (The World a Stage)” – Live life to the fullest, party hard and be careless, sounds like most of the teenager’s motto. What’s Toby Keith’s advice? “Thought breakin’ rules was bein’ cool/ It’s clear to me now I was a fool/ I still make a mistake or two/ Looking back on my younger days/ Life was a play and the world a stage”
7. “She’s Perfect” – Everyone makes mistakes, some of them are harmless, some of them may be heartwrenching. From time to time even unintentionally you might be the cause of another’s sadness. “It might appear to you she’s broken/ By the teardrops in her eyes/ But there’s nothing wrong with her, she’s perfect/ I’m the one who made her cry/ There’s nothing wrong with her, she’s perfect”
6. “Ain’t No Right Way” – One of the most thought-provoking Toby Keith songs, it’s about morality, making difficult choices, the thin line between right and wrong. It really makes you wonder what would you do in situations described in the song. “There is no right way/ To do the wrong thing/ You can justify/ But it is still black and white/ Paint in any shade/ But it would not change/ There is no right way/ To do the wrong thing”
5. “Victoria’s Secret” – No, it’s not a song about Victoria’s Secret Angels, it’s a lot deeper than that. Being appreciated and loved by your partner helps you make it through the day. When you aren’t, you might seek consolation in someone else’s arm. That why only Toby knows Victoria’s secret. “Seems she’s always and the run/ And she gets so lonely it tears her in two/ That’s when she does what a woman must do/ And I’m the only one who knows Victoria’s secret”
4. “Haggard, Hank, and Her” – Being torn apart between love is not so unusual. Someone can make you miserable and hurt but a tiny part of you still loves that person. “Nobody thrills me/ Nobody chills me/ Nobody kills me/ Like Haggard, Hank and her”
3. “Last Living Cowboy” – Positive vibes, foot-tapping rhythms, and nicely crafted lyrics make it a good country song. As you might assume it’s a story about the last true cowboy who remembers good ole days when the world was a better place. “You’ll find him down on Main Street. That’s where he likes to walk/ It’s worth the price of admission just to hear that old man talk/ He’s the last living cowboy in this town.”
2. “I Know She Hung The Moon” – Having someone special is the most wonderful thing in a world. Catchy chorus will make appreciate this song. “You don’t have to tell me she’s beautiful/ You don’t have to say things like one-of-a-kind/ You don’t have to wonder if she loves me man/ I know that’s crossed your mind/ Seems like everywhere we go/ There’s always somebody staring at her/ Yeah, I know she hung the moon/ I’m the one that held the ladder”
1.“Just The Guy To Do It” – A bit funny and beautiful, definitely a great song to cheer you up. Easy-going tunes quite similar to Jimmy Buffett’s songs make it even better. When you think about it’s lyrically kinda similar to Jon Pardi’s “Tequila Little Time”. “Do blondes really have more fun?/ Or they just easier to spot in the dark?/ Girl, I’m just trying to cheer you up/ I saw you sitting over here all alone/ With a broken heart.”
Compared to 27 years in the music industry and 19 released studio albums a list of 10 songs seems like a drop in the ocean. Picking less known but still good songs was an easy task but narrowing it down to just 10 tracks was way harder.
To keep up with Toby Keith follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Cover Photo Via Instagram and Photo Credit : @roberto_carliux
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