Toby Keith Did Something Few Country Superstars Ever Accomplished — He Wrote Almost All of His Own No. 1 Hits
In Nashville, it’s not unusual for a chart-topping song to have four, five, or even six songwriters listed in the credits. Many of country music’s biggest stars have built successful careers by recording songs written by talented professionals behind the scenes.
But Toby Keith chose a different path.
Background
Over the course of a career that produced dozens of hit singles and more than 20 No. 1 songs, Toby Keith wrote or co-wrote nearly all of his biggest chart-toppers himself. In an industry where artists often rely heavily on outside material, that achievement made him one of the last true singer-songwriters of mainstream country music. ❤️🎙️
What makes his story even more remarkable is where it began.
Introduction
Before fame arrived, Toby was working in Oklahoma’s oil fields and playing music with local bands after hours. He wasn’t part of Nashville’s songwriting circles, and he didn’t come from a family with music industry connections. Instead, he drew inspiration from everyday life — small towns, hard work, family, patriotism, humor, and the people he grew up around.
Those real-life experiences became the foundation of his songwriting.
His breakthrough hit, Should’ve Been a Cowboy, was written by Toby himself and went on to become the most-played country song of the entire 1990s. It launched his career and proved that audiences connected deeply with his honest, straightforward storytelling. 🌵🎸
Video
Lyrics
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
I bet you’ve never heard ol’ Marshal Dillon sayMiss Kitty, have you ever thought of runnin’ away?Settlin’ down, would you marry meIf I asked you twice and begged you, pretty please?She’d have said, “Yes”, in a New York minuteThey never tied the knot, his heart wasn’t in itHe just stole a kiss as he rode awayHe never hung his hat up at Kitty’s placeI should’ve been a cowboyI should’ve learned to rope and rideWearin’ my six-shooter, ridin’ my pony on a cattle driveStealin’ the young girls’ heartsJust like Gene and RoySingin’ those campfire songsWoah, I should’ve been a cowboyI might of had a sidekick with a funny nameRunnin’ wild through the hills chasin’ Jesse JamesEnding up on the brink of dangerRidin’ shotgun for the Texas RangersGo west young man, haven’t you been told?California’s full of whiskey, women and goldSleepin’ out all night beneath the desert starsWith a dream in my eye and a prayer in my heartI should’ve been a cowboyI should’ve learned to rope and rideWearin’ my six-shooter, ridin’ my pony on a cattle driveStealin’ the young girls’ heartsJust like Gene and RoySingin’ those campfire songsWoah, I should’ve been a cowboyI should’ve been a cowboyI should’ve learned to rope and rideI’d be wearin’ my six-shooter, ridin’ my pony on a cattle driveStealin’ the young girls’ heartsJust like Gene and RoySingin’ those campfire songsWoah, I should’ve been a cowboy