What a nice surprise - Toby Keith just entered the Country Charts this last weekend at #51 with his new single "A Few More Cowboys," a song which became recently a staple during his life shows on his 2016 Interstates & Tailgates Tour. A surprise as he haven't had a Number-One-Hit in five years since "Made In America," and he wasn't able to crack the Top-30 of the Hot Country Songs charts since his 2013 title track "Drinks After Work."
What's really nice, is that besides some raunchy guitar, the tune is actually quite country and reminds me of some of his stuff he did in the late 90's early 00's. The message of the song is quite laudable too - with "A Few More Cowboys" - gallantry would still be around and with more "Yes Ma'am" and less boot licking "Yes Men" the world would be a better place.
Keith wrote the song and it is actually an old-time full story-song, with monster songwriters Dean Dillon, who was recognized by the ACM with the "Poet's Award - Living" for songs recorded by George Jones, Keith Whitley, Toby and most of all George Strait and the almost two decades younger Bobby Pinson, who is a regular contributor with Keith. The duo actually wrote eight out of eleven songs on Keith's "THAT DON'T MAKE ME A BAD GUY."
Government (with a White House in Texas), legalization of marijuana, crime but also job-outsourcing are topics mentioned - in somehow a humorous way - in the song, basically it also ask to go back to a simpler time. In the video below - Toby told IHeart Radio, what "A Few More Cowboys" is all about
"I think people can apply this song to their life because it just kind of sums it up . Everything in the world right now is looked at under a microscope and everything is critiqued. The little stuff becomes the biggest stuff, and the biggest stuff gets forgotten about. Maybe the cowboys had a simpler way of life and dealing with things that needed to be dealt with."
If the White House was in Texas, man, we'd get a straighter answer
If they'd let us smoke what we want, we'd have a lot less cancer
There'd be a bunch more daddies, sons could be proud of
We'd have half the crime, we'd have twice the fun
With a few more cowboys, be a lot less outlaws
With a few more amens, be a lot less bad calls
With a few more yes ma'ams and a lot less yes man
This world would be a better place to live in
With a few more cowboys
If we did it with a handshake, we'd save a lot of paper
That'd save a lot of trees we're shippin' overseas to make her
If we stood by our word, took care of our own
Bought it made in the USA, we'd keep it here at home
With a few more cowboys, be a lot less outlaws
With a few more amens, be a lot less bad calls
With a few more yes ma'ams and a lot less yes man
This world would be a better place to live in
With a few more cowboys
If we had a little more grit, less politics, and more fist fights
Met 'em at high noon, hell, it's about high time
We looked 'em in the eye, got our head out of the sand
Hit 'em with a big John Wayne, by God they'd understand
With a few more cowboys, be a lot less outlaws
With a few more amens, be a lot less bad calls
With a few more yes ma'ams and a lot less yes man
This world would be a better place to live in
With a few more cowboys
All in all we'd have a better world
With a few more cowboys
We'd have a few more cowgirls
With a few more cowboys
If the White House was in Texas, man
We'd get a straighter answer
They'd let us smoke what we want
Be a lot less cancer
★★★★/★★★★★ (4/5)
Sources: Vevo, IHeart Radio, TobyKeith.com, Billboard
