Toby Keith is entering a third decade of making great country music, and more impressively, writing great country lyrics. The singer is one of very few hitmakers to pen the majority of his hit songs, and his lyrics cover a wide range. Early in his career, vulnerable songs about love and heartbreak defined the Oklahoman. For awhile, it was patriotic tributes, and more recently, rowdy drinking songs have served him well. You'll find all kinds of kinds on this list of Toby Keith's best lyrics.

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    'You Ain't Much Fun'

    "Now I'm feedin' the dog, sackin' the trash / It's honey do this, honey do that / I sobered up, and I got to thinkin' / Girl you ain't much fun since I quit drinkin'"

    This hit from 1995 is an absolute original. Keith wrote it with his bass player (the late Chuck Goff, Jr.) and it stands next to 'Red Solo Cup' as the most fun single from his catalog. While later the singer became known for his bravado, in the '90s he was willing to be a little wacky. Great rhyming and a unique concept earn this song a place on the list.

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    'Wish I Didn't Know Now'

    "I've never tried to catch you lyin' / I didn't want to know the truth / I'd rather go on lovin' blind girl / Than go on lovin' without you"

    The other song from the early part of Keith's career to be recognized for its lyrics is 'Wish I Didn't Know Now' from 1994. It's a heartbreaker sung from a unique perspective of a man who would take being blindly cheated on over losing his true love.

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    'Cryin' for Me'

    "So play it sweet in heaven / Cause that's right where you want to be / I'm not cryin' cause I feel so sorry for you / I am cryin' for me"

    Great art often comes from great emotion. Keith wrote 'Cryin' for Me' after the passing of Wayman Tisdale, who died in 2009. While his performance made the song into one of the best funeral songs of all time, his lyrics touch every emotion one goes through after losing someone close. 'Cryin' for Me' is personal, yet capable of being adapted to anyone's life.

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    'Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue'

    "Hey Uncle Sam, put your name at the top of his list / And the Statue of Liberty started shaking her fist"

    Country fans love it. Non-country fans ... not so much. This is another powerful song that sprung from a deep-seated emotion -- this time, anger. Keith introduced his patriotic side on this controversial hit, which also includes this great line: "Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye / Man, we lit up your world like the fourth of July." It's among the greatest country songs of all time.

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    'American Soldier'

    "You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door / Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core"

    While he was never in the military, Toby Keith's 'American Soldier' lyrics painted a realistic picture of what a soldier fights for. Each line of this beautifully-crafted hit song snaps into place to tell a story every American needs to be intimately familiar with.

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