Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music
Have you always thought there was something special about 80s and 90s country music that you've never been able to put your finger on? Why does this music stand out? Well, let's don our cowboy hats, adjust our oversized belt buckles, tease that hair, and see if we can get the bottom of it, by picking apart one song at a time.
Nashville Anthems: Dissecting 80s & 90s Country Music
Dissecting "Should've Been a Cowboy" by Toby Keith - 1993
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We return to a country music icon by taking on his debut single and (at least for the 90s) his signature song: Toby Keith's "Should've Been a Cowboy". Keith struck a chord in 1993 with the mid-20th-century western nostalgia that permeates the lyrics, but how does his specific take on this theme depart from some others we've covered that trod similar ground? And how does that take bring some needed nuance to our understanding of Toby Keith the man and persona, before "How Do You Like Me Now"?