Toby Keith has scored a lot - a bar full - of hits singing about booze, having a good time drinking and, yes, bars themselves. And he does it again with "Drunk Americans". But this time, he toasts the unique cultural and ethnic differences of Americans and how those differences wash away with a little alcohol when folks get together to relax and have a good time.
The voice behind hits like "Red Solo Cup," "Beer for My Horses," "Drinks After Work," "Get Drunk and Be Somebody" and, of course, "I Love This Bar" knows his way to the high, and low, places booze can take you, notes Rolling Stone.
"Drunk Americans," the first from his forthcoming album, puts a fresh twist on an old musical cocktail with a shot of social commentary. This may surprise those who still view the singer though a right-wing lens, no matter how many times he has rejected that label.
As with most elements of Toby Keith's career and persona, there is more here than what first meets the eye and/or ear. The new release is not a celebratory song of drink but a celebratory song of equality and the commonality of us all. The opening lyrics get right to this point, according to Laughlin Entertainer.
With lyrics like "We ain't black, we ain't white, we ain't left, we ain't right, we just came here to drink" and "We just raise up our glass, we don't give a rat's ass if you're a Democrat or a Republican," "Drunk Americans" celebrates the way a little social lubricant can be a uniter not a divider, adds Rolling Stone.
The song - which you can hear below - was penned by hit songwriters Brandy Clark, Bob DiPiero and Shane McAnally. "We wanted to write it sort of like a modern day 'Piano Man,'" explains Clark. "It's like 'When we're in here drinking, who cares what we are outside of this?'"
Among Clark's favorite lyrics are "in these neon lights we're all stars, we're all stripes" and "we're all ball caps and turbans."
"It's very inclusive," says Clark, who has previously co-written such hits as Kacey Musgraves' "Follow Your Arrow" and Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart." She also received widespread critical acclaim for her own 2013 debut, 12 Stories, and recently nabbed CMA nominations for New Artist, and Song of the Year for "Arrow."
Of "Drunk Americans" she says, "You see that title and you think, 'Oh, it's a drinking song,' which it is, but I hope that people can listen to it and see that it's really an American song."
Take a listen to "Drunk Americans" here:
