Cold Beer Country

Album: Hope On The Rocks (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • This jovial party tune originated with an idea that was started by Trailer Choir's Marc "Butter" Fortney, before Toby Keith and Bobby Pinson joined in. Keith explained: "Marc Fortney Trailer Choir was signed to my label for several years and their lead singer Butter (Fortney) wanted me to write with them. I agreed, but they were so busy on that tour doing the outside stage and running around doing promotions that we never could find time in the afternoon. And when he could find time, I'd usually have a writer with me. So I asked if he had anything he wanted to write, and this was one I loved. Once they were off the tour, he sent out a version that didn't fit what me and Bobby thought it should say. So we flipped it and wrote one from scratch, then sent it to him to tweak. Ended up being a little dandy. If you had a brand new artist who was country, had a smile on his face and could laugh at himself, you could put this one in his first three singles and it might actually break. It's just a simple little thing, kind of a throwback, but it's got that melody you want to sing along with."
  • The song has an old-time, jazzy sound over which multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke plays an optimistic clarinet melody. Hoke also contributed harmonica on Keith's American Ride album and tenor saxophone and trumpet for his That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy set.

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